UNVEILING THE TECHNO-FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF MANIPUEIRA PROTEIN AND THEIR IMPROVEMENT BY ULTRASOUND

The cassava starch industry has significant economic relevance in Brazil, with a Gross Production Value of R$2.08 billion in 2024. This production generates a large volume of liquid residues (17.4 m³ per ton of starch), known as manipueira, which contains proteins and other components. However, the techno-functional properties of proteins from this byproduct remain underexplored and they can be improved by ultrasound (US) favoring their industrial application. This study aimed to evaluate the techno-functional properties of proteins recovered from manipueira and their improvement by ultrasound. The protein extract was obtained by isoelectric precipitation (pH 3.8) of manipueira, resuspended at pH 7.0 and freeze dried. The extract was resuspended in distilled water (0.5% w/v) and subjected to US at different powers (0, 300, 600 and 850 W) for 10 min under controlled temperature. All the techno-functional properties of manipueira protein evaluated were improved by ultrasound (US) treatment. Higher ultrasound power (850 W) enhanced soluble protein concentration (from 0.13 to 0.43 mg/mL) and foaming capacity (from 0.50 to 0.85 mL) in comparison to control samples. At 600 W treatment the foaming stability (FS) had the best result, with a foam volume of 0.50 mL after 1 hour, compared to the control (0.15 mL). All three treatments were beneficial for emulsifying capacity, however the 850 W treatment was the most effective (39.98 m²/g), compared to the control (33.75 m²/g). These results reveal that the techno-functional properties of proteins recovered from manipueira can be improved by US, especially at 600 W and 850 W, possibly due protein structural modification, enabling the potential use of this byproduct in the food industry. These results open new perspectives for the reuse and application of manipueira protein, strengthening the principles of the circular economy and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals.