ORCID
- Amit K. Jaiswal: 0000-0002-4551-4182
Abstract
This study explores the extraction and application of Pithecellobium dulce seed protein isolate (PSPI) in chocolate compound coating formulations. PSPI was extracted via ultrasonication-assisted isoelectric precipitation under optimized conditions (solute-to-solvent ratio 1:30, pH 12, 10 min), yielding 23.64% with 38.28% recovery. PSPI exhibited high protein content (75.3%), low water activity (0.22), near-neutral pH (6.94), and favorable techno-functional properties, including high water (3.27 g/g) and oil holding capacities (4.81 g/g), improved solubility (↑21.3%), and superior thermal stability compared to skim milk powder (SMP). While in vitro digestibility was slightly lower than SMP (88.52% vs. 92.42%), PSPI outperformed other reported plant protein isolates such as Prosopis africana , conophor nut, and Moringa oleifera . PSPI was partially substituted for SMP in chocolate compound coatings. Among the formulations, PSPIC-2 (20% PSPI substitution) demonstrated the best balance of physicochemical, nutritional, rheological, and sensory properties, showing increased protein and ash content, reduced carbohydrates, higher TSS (↑0.9%) and Casson yield stress (↑4%), with only minor reductions in colour (↓7.9%) and pH (↓3.9%). Sensory analysis confirmed that taste and texture were comparable to the control. These findings support the use of PSPI as a sustainable, plant-based ingredient in functional chocolate compound coatings.
Keywords
Functional chocolate, Pithecellobium dulce, Plant-based protein, Sustainable food formulation, Ultrasonication-assisted extraction
DOI Link
Publication Date
2026-05-01
Publication Title
LWT
Volume
247
ISSN
0023-6438
Deposit Date
2026-05-11
Funding
The authors would like to thank the National Institute of Food Technology and Entrepreneurship Management (NIFTEM) for providing the necessary resarch resources to Aaliya N Fathima. We acknowledge the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) for providing a fellowship (DBT-RA/2024/July/n/6817) to Dr. Manorma Negi through the DBT-Research Associateship Program.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Additional Links
Recommended Citation
Fathima, Aaliya N.; Mishra, Shruti; Negi, Manorma; Mani, Sarvanan; Sasikumar, Raju; Selva Kumar, T.; Mangang, Irengbam Barun; Chakkaravarthi, S.; and Jaiswal, Amit K., "Ultrasound-assisted extraction and functional application of Pithecellobium dulce seed protein isolate in compound coating formulations" (2026). Research Outputs: 2025-Present. 13.
https://arrow.tudublin.ie/schfsehro/13