Quality Assessment of Canola proteins to use as material for bio-based polymers

Canola meal is a protein-rich product with great potential to increase the value of agricultural by-products, for example, the development of bio-based plastics. The bio-based plastics possess environmental advantages over synthetic plastics, such as compostability, biodegradability, and being sourced from sustainable resources.
This research aims to explore the production of bio-based plastics through the utilization of canola proteins, analyze the quality of the proteins that will be used to produce the bio-based material, and evaluate the physicochemical and mechanical properties of the bio-based polymers.
The process starts with the extraction of the oil from dehulled canola seed using first a cold pressing machine, followed by ethanol or hexane extractions to obtain the canola meal, which was used to isolate the proteins. After the protein isolation, its quality was measured using analytical methods such as particle size, solubility, quantity of protein by Kjeldahl, and surface hydrophilicity. These tests were important to select the proteins with the best characteristics to prepare the bio-based films and adhesives.
The results showed that the dehulled canola seed produced better canola meal and later on better protein isolates. Two protein fractions were obtained, a cruciferin-rich fraction and a napin-rich fraction; each fraction was characterized using SDS PAGE, and it was observed that some of the samples had high-quality protein with a nitrogen content higher than 90% in the case of the cruciferin portion. The extracted proteins were combined with copolymers and plasticizers in different proportions to produce bio-based materials such as water-soluble films and adhesives. Finally, the physicochemical and mechanical properties of the bio-based materials were measured and compared with commercial materials, which is important for their future application as edible plastics, food packaging, or bio-based adhesives.