Enzyme assisted extraction of Rice bran protein

Summary

Rice is one of the largest staple foods in the world. In processing, about 10% of the complete rice kernel is removed in the form of rice bran, which is used as livestock feed and fertilizer or simply discarded. Rice bran could supply us with around 8.7 million metric tons of protein annually, which might contribute substantially to the protein transition worldwide when extracted efficiently. This thesis explores enzyme-assisted protein extraction from rice bran by identifying the limiting aspects of enzymatic rice bran protein extraction and translating these findings into processes for bran protein extraction. Different combinations and sequences of hemicellulolytic and proteolytic enzymes are utilized to alleviate the limitations. The extraction yield, the proteolysis and molecular weight distributions are modelled and translated to better extraction. These optimized conditions are then translated into different process configurations, which acquire optimal yield or minimum water use.