Hemp, scientifically known as Cannabis sativa, is a versatile climate-adaptive crop with a wider range of adaptability to both colder and warmer conditions than plants commonly found in moderate climates (such as field peas). Hemp protein has gained popularity as a nutritional supplement due to its rich protein content and numerous health benefits as a dietary supplement with all a balanced amino acid profile, and it has also been reported to be easily digestible and well-tolerated by most people.
In this project, you will focus on improving the extraction methods of hemp seed protein fractions (~70% edestin (the 11S globulin, salt soluble) and ~25% albumin (water-soluble) from its seed flour, e.g., using salt extraction. The extracted proteins will be then characterized of the structure forming and techno-functional properties, e.g., solubility, emulsifying, foaming and gelling properties, in order to exploit its potential replacement of animal-based proteins in food applications.
During this project, you will be able to use a number of advanced analytical and physical methods to follow the properties of the extracted proteins, as well as experimental environments that are as close as possible to those in processing plants.
The project is aligned to UN's SGD:
