Page 97 - FoodFocusThailand No.222 September 2024

SUSTAINABILITY DRIVEN

Mitigating Environmental Crisis to Create protein. Despite potentially higher costs, these advanced
New Opportunities in the Future Food extraction techniques require shorter extraction times. The
Market efficacy of these methods depends on several factors, including
In terms of economic sustainability, Wolffia is both a raw material particle sizes, solvent properties, solvent-to-solid
promising future food and a current megatrend in the ratio, ultrasound wave frequency, and extraction temperature
food industry. The government is encouraging Wolffia (Figure 4).
production in both agricultural and industrial sectors to Figure 5 illustrates the extraction process of Wolffia protein
increase business opportunities and generate more using UAE. This method yields a protein extract (PE) with
revenue for local communities. This support is due to sufficient solubility, emulsifying ability, and emulsion stability.
Wolffia’s minimal space requirements, year-round Following this, the produced protein concentrate hydrolysate
growth capability, and short production time. (PCH) possesses antimicrobial properties, effectively inhibits
Environmentally, Wolffia-based protein production Candida albicans, and is rich in total amino acids, particularly
emits significantly less greenhouse gas than other aspartic and glutamic acids.
plant- or animal-derived proteins. For instance, Wolffia Furthermore, solid waste from Wolffia protein extraction
protein production releases half the greenhouse gases contains up to 19.9 percent fiber, which can be repurposed to
of seaweed protein production and 22 times less than add value. In line with the Zero Waste principle, Wolffia waste
Nile tilapia fish protein production (Figure 2). Additionally, can be transformed into products such as Wolffia fiber food
Wolffia can absorb carbon dioxide and contaminants in supplements, crispy rice puff with Wolffia, or animal feed.
post-production wastewater. This wastewater can be Regarding chemical composition, nutritional value, production
repurposed according to Zero Waste principles, such processes, and environmental sustainability, Wolffia alternative
as watering plants or cultivating other duckweed protein performs effectively across all these dimensions and
varieties for animal feed. Overall, the data indicate that merits endorsement from both industrial and commercial sectors.
Wolffia protein production is more environmentally However, a significant challenge remains: scaling up Wolffia
sustainable than other plant- or animal-based protein protein production for larger industrial applications to ensure it
sources. can compete with other plant-based alternative proteins in the
future.
Challenges in Wolffia-derived Protein
Production
Although Wolffia-derived protein offers significant
advantages in terms of nutritional value, environmental More Information Service Info C016
impact, and sustainability, other factors such as
production and consumer safety must also be
considered. Wolffia-based protein production can be
divided into two methods as follows:
1) Chemical or enzymatic extraction is a traditional
technique that breaks down the structure of the cell wall
(Figure 3). Although this method requires longer
production time and yields a lower amount of alternative
proteins, it is cost-effective and widely used in the
industrial sector. In this process, “protein hydrolysate”
is produced by polypeptide chain cleavages into free
amino acids or short-chain peptides using alkaline
solutions, acidic solutions, or enzymes. As a result, the
nutritional value is enhanced, nutrients are more easily
and rapidly absorbed, and the protein’s physical
properties, such as solubility, emulsifying ability, and
foamability, are improved.
2) Extraction via advanced technologies, such
as microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) or
ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), offers efficient
alternatives to traditional methods. 1) MAE employs a
microwave frequency of 0.3-300 GHz in combination
with organic solvents to extract proteins. The microwave-
generated heat causes the solvent molecules to vibrate,
leading to cell breakage and the release of active
compounds from within the cells. 2) UAE, on the other
hand, uses ultrasonic frequencies higher than 20 kHz.
These ultrasonic waves create bubbles through acoustic
cavitation. Then these bubbles collapse during
compression and expansion forces from these waves,
causing the rupture of the plant cell walls, and the
consequent release of the intracellular proteins.
However, high-frequency sound waves may alter the
secondary structure and functional properties of the

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