Starch–protein separation from chickpea flour using a hydrocyclone

The effect of defatting and suspension pH on starch–protein separation from chickpea flour using a hydrocyclone was evaluated. Suspensions were made from whole and defatted chickpea flours in distilled water at pH 6.6 (initial pH of suspension) and pH 9.0. The suspensions were subjected to double-pass hydrocyclone process. The use of defatted flour resulted in higher total solids in the underflows. Defatting of the whole chickpea flour and high suspension pH (pH 9.0) improved starch and protein separation efficiencies. In terms of starch separation, the use of defatted flour at pH 9.0 resulted in the highest starch content in the underflow with separation efficiency of 99.8%. Defatting chickpea flour and using high pH resulted in 2.0 times enrichment of the starch fraction of the second-pass underflow (U2) and 3.4 times enrichment of the protein fraction in the sediment of the second-pass overflow (O2) compared to the original chickpea flour which contained 48.0% d.b. starch and 26.3% d.b. protein.