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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Commodity Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #376590
Research Project: Increasing the Value of Cottonseed

Location: Commodity Utilization Research

Title: A review of cottonseed protein chemistry and non-food applications

Author
item Cheng, Huai
item He, Zhongqi
item Ford, Catrina
item Wyckoff, Wade
item WU, QINGLIN - LSU Agcenter

Submitted to: Sustainable Chemistry
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/27/2020
Publication Date: 10/5/2020
Citation: Cheng, H.N., He, Z., Ford, C., Wyckoff, W., Wu, Q. 2020. A review of cottonseed protein chemistry and non-food applications. Sustainable Chemistry. 1:256-274. https://doi.org/10.3390/suschem1030017.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/suschem1030017

Interpretive Summary: Cottonseed protein can be obtained from cottonseed meal, which is widely available for use as animal feed, fertilizer, and other low-value applications. Although it is currently under-utilized for specialty and non-food applications, there have been many publications that provide promising information on its chemistry and possible applications. This article aims to provide a timely review of these developments. Hopefully it will stimulate further interest in expanding the utility of this widely available, sustainable, agro-based raw material.

Technical Abstract: There has been increasing interest in recent years on the use of agro-based raw materials for the production of bio-friendly and sustainable products. Plant-based proteins are among the popular materials being studied. In particular, cottonseed protein (a byproduct of cotton production) is widely available and has useful properties. Although not as well-known as soy protein, cottonseed protein has been shown to be a potentially valuable raw material for numerous applications. In this review, the latest developments in isolation, composition and molecular weight, chemical and enzymatic modifications, and non-food applications are delineated. Among these applications, films and coatings, interfacial and emulsifying applications, adhesives, and bioplastics seem to attract the most attention. A particular effort has been made to cover the literature on these topics in the past 10 years.