Efficiency of Protein Extraction and Characterization from Selected Plant Sources in Misrata and their Applications in the Food Industry

Abstract

Proteins are a fundamental pillar for achieving sustainable food security and can serve as a biological alternative to animal proteins. This study aims to evaluate and compare the efficiency of protein extraction and characterization methods from four plant sources: sesame seeds (Sesamum  indicum L.) and  peas (Pasium sativum), sider fruits (Ziziphus lotus), and oats grain (Avena sativa). The methodology employed alkaline and aqueous extraction techniques, followed by precipitation at the isoelectric point (IEP) using precipitating agents such as ammonium sulfate, trichloroacetic acid (TCA), and acetone. Analyses were conducted at the laboratories of the Faculty of Natural Environmental and Natural resource, University of Misurata, between 2022 and 2024. Methods were evaluated based on purity and yield criteria. Results indicated that alkaline extraction at pH 10-12 was the most efficient, with sesame seeds achieving the highest purity and yield, where the yield of the isolated protein ranged from 72-73 mg/g (wet weight). Furthermore, precipitation using TCA and acetone yielded higher protein productivity compared to ammonium sulfate (p<0.05). The study concludes that the efficiency of extraction and the functional properties of the protein isolate are closely linked to the plant source and extraction conditions, which enhances the potential for integrating these proteins into broad industrial and food applications.