| dc.description.abstract | The need for developing alternative protein sources to meet future food demand has driven microalgae to re-emerge as a promising biomass source. Considering its ability to produce quality protein, microalgae has been studied to produce protein concentrates, isolates, hydrolysates, and bioactive peptides. Despite its potential, current production methods still require optimization of processing conditions to ensure economic feasibility of algae products. Co-product extraction, such as high-value lipids, together with protein, has been proposed for increasing economic feasibility of the algae platform. Nevertheless, scalable methods for the sequential extraction of proteins and other high-value products are lacking. In this dissertation, we explore and optimize the processing of lipid-extracted microalgae into protein concentrates and hydrolysates for food applications. Chapter 2 reviews and analyzes the current methods for extraction and fractionation of protein products. Chapter 3 explores the technical and economic feasibility of a co-production platform of high-value lipids and protein concentrates from Chlorella vulgaris. Chapter 4 outlines and evaluates a process to produce a high-value protein hydrolysate from lipid extracted Nannochloropis sp. Finally, the data showed in the appendix gathers further optimization efforts on the production of microalgae protein hydrolysates, where an ultrafiltration and diafiltration process is used for the single-step clarification and purification of a higher quality product. The combined results from this work showed that the utilization of lipid extracted vs. whole microalgae significantly increased economic feasibility of the algae platform. The extraction by enzymatic hydrolysis was shown to efficiently release most proteins, help remove chlorophyll from the extracts, and increase protein value, compared to mechanical extraction. | en |
