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2025 AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo.

Protein and Co-Products

Health and Nutrition

Plant-Based Proteins and Co-Products – Safety and Sustainability I

Extraction of bioactive oligosaccharides from pulse processing byproducts using subcritical water extraction: a proof-of-concept study

Monday, April 28, 2025
1:55 PM – 2:15 PM PST
Room: B113
Abstract:

Industrial production of pulse protein isolates generates an underutilized, low-value byproduct that is rich in insoluble starch and fiber. The goals of this study were: 1) to convert the insoluble fiber stream from black bean and lentil protein extraction into soluble oligosaccharides (OS) using subcritical water extraction (SWE) in a semi-dynamic mode, 2) to perform a comprehensive OS profiling to identify the glycoforms generated, and 3) to evaluate the potential prebiotic activity of the extracts via probiotic growth studies. A preliminary screening of SWE temperatures (120, 160, 200 °C) and extraction times (up to 1 h) demonstrated that processing 20 g of wet de-starched insoluble fiber (~2.5 and 3.4 g dry matter for bean and lentil insoluble fiber, respectively) at 200 °C generated the most diverse OS profiles, which were particularly rich in pentose-containing OS. Subsequently, SWE was performed with higher sample loadings (20 g dry mass of insoluble fiber) at 200 °C to produce sufficient material for prebiotic screening. OS recovery yields were estimated to be 10.9% (g/g) from dry de-starched bean insoluble fiber and 9.6% (g/g) from dry de-starched lentil insoluble fiber. The composition of OS in the pre-equilibrium fraction (i.e., < 3 kDa fraction; extracted prior to achieving desired subcritical conditions) was primarily glucose, likely derived from cellulose and/or starch. Conversely, the SWE fractions (0−20 and 20−60 min) displayed more diverse OS species derived from hemicellulose, containing xylose, galactose, and mannose. Growth studies with probiotic lactobacilli and bifidobacteria demonstrated the ability of some strains to utilize the pre-equilibrium extracts as a growth substrate, suggesting this fraction may possess prebiotic properties. This proof-of-concept study demonstrated the efficacy of SWE for converting pulse processing byproducts into OS-rich extracts, which, in turn, show potential as nutraceutical ingredients for human consumption.