Inulin like lyoprotectant of bovine plasma proteins concentrated by ultrafiltration

The growth of world demand for protein-enriched products generates a great interest in the search of new protein sources of higher nutritional value and, therefore, in the use of cutting edge technologies to achieve that goal. In this work, technologies of ultrafiltration and freeze-drying to process and obtain a protein concentrate from bovine plasma proteins are employed. The effectiveness of inulin as protectant agent to prevent protein denaturation was evaluated during freeze-drying and storage. The shelf life time of the product with the oligosaccharide was estimated to analyze its stabilizing power. The results showed that when 10% w/v inulin was employed as lyoprotectant the protein denaturation was significantly reduced with a shelf life of 14 months, stored at 2 °C. The proteins concentrate combines improved functional properties due to reduction of protein denaturation, indicating that it could be very interesting as food ingredient.