Evaluation of Functional Properties of bioactive Protein Hydrolysate derived from Tomato Seed

The waste from food processing involves high-quality nutrients that can be widely used in food formulations. About 8100 tons of tomato pomace is produced annually by factories, which are often discarded without taking into account their potential use in the supply chain. Seeds isolated from tomato pomace are rich in protein and essential amino acids. In this research, chemical composition (protein, fat, moisture and ash) and functional properties (water absorption, oil absorption, foaming property and emulsion activity), in different fractions of tomato seed (defatted meal, protein concentrate and hydrolysate) and soy isolate (as the control sample) was determined and the effect of different concentrations of salt and pH on these characteristics was also investigated. The results showed that the tomato protein hydrolysate contained 79.37% of protein. There was a significant difference between the samples in terms of functional characteristics (water absorption, oil absorption, foaming and emulsification properties) ​​between the de-oiled and concentrate samples (P <0.05). In conclusion, it can be said that the protein hydrolysate derived from tomato seeds protein showed the best functional properties and therefore could be used as substitute for animal based proteins in the diet as well as active ingredients in food formulations.