Effect Of Radio Frequency Treatment on the Structure and Functional Properties of a Cottonseed Protein Isolate

Novel protein sources have attracted considerable interest. Cottonseed, which is wildly grown and has high yield, is a potential protein source but must be modified because of its poor functional properties. This study aimed to investigate the effect of radio frequency (RF) treatment at various temperatures (70 °C, 80 °C, and 90 °C) and electrode gaps (125, 135, and 145 mm) on the structure and functional properties of a cottonseed protein isolate (CPI). Results indicated that RF treatment exposed CPI molecules and the secondary and tertiary structures changed. In addition, the functional properties of CPI improved significantly (P < 0.05). The CPI showed the best functional properties after RF treatment at a temperature of 90 °C and electron gap of 145 mm. These results suggested that RF treatment is a potential method for enhancing the functional properties of cottonseed protein.