CENTESIMAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SESAME ( Sesamum indicum) PROTEIN CONCENTRATE

Sesame cultivation in Mato Grosso has found a favorable climate and conditions for its development and, despite being the largest producer of sesame in Brazil, studies on its protein isolate are scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop and characterize freeze-dried sesame protein isolate (SPI). The seeds were obtained from Lucas do Rio Verde (LRV) and Canarana (CNN), Mato Grosso, crushed and defatted with 5% hexane, followed by alkaline extraction (pH 12) and acid precipitation (pH 4.5). The precipitates were freeze-dried and stored at -20ºC until analysis. The centesimal analysis, following the official methodology, corresponded to moisture (2.31^a±0.06 CNN and 2.30^a±0.07 LRV), proteins (50.21^a±6.85 CNN and 61.20^a±5.78 LRV), lipids (15.35^b±0.72 CNN and 19.38^a±0.53 LRV), ash (0.95^b±0.01 CNN and 1.02^a±0.03 LRV) and crude fiber (0.79^a±0.27 CNN and 1.07^a±0.33 LRV). Color parameters (CIE L*, a*, b*) and water activity resulted in perceptive luminosity, with L* 60.79^a±1.17 (CNN) and 50.04^b±1.44 (LRV) and water activity 0.11^b±0.01 (CNN) and 0.16^a±0.02 (LRV). The protein values found, despite varying between 50 and 60%, are lower than in other studies. The high lipid content and its significant differences in the samples evaluated are related to the effectiveness of the fat removal stage of the sample, while the differences in the ash content may also be related to the origin of the seeds. The difference in color may be a result of the differences found in the composition, especially the lipid content, which can interfere with this parameter. This study made a significant contribution to obtaining and characterizing SPI, suggesting the possibility of further exploiting this food matrix. These results corroborate the production of a protein input to be used in various areas, such as the food, chemical and cosmetics industries.