(LB01-14-25) Evaluating Protein Quality and Chlorogenic Acid Content in Diverse Sunflower Seed Varieties for Sustainable Food Applications

Objectives: The rising demand for sustainable protein sources has driven the need to explore plant-based food alternatives. Sunflower seed meal, a byproduct of oilseed extraction, stands out as a promising option of protein source. However, its utilization remains limited due to the presence of anti-nutritional factors and chlorogenic acid-protein interaction, which leads to changes in its functionality as well as sensory characteristics. Thus, a deeper understanding of geographical variations is essential for optimizing the nutritional quality of sunflower seed meal. In this study, we evaluated the protein, fat, amino acid and chlorogenic acid content across 75 different sunflower seed varietals obtained from five geographical regions of Manitoba (Rossendale, Carberry, Melita, Elm Creek and Beausejour) to identify high quality protein sources.

Methods: The protein and fat content were assessed using standard Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) methods, while chlorogenic acid content was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography.

Results: Results revealed that the protein content varied significantly across varietals, ranging from 37.55% to 57.97%, suggesting the potential of high-protein varietals (particularly Carberry and Melita) for food applications. Fat content exhibited minimal variation, ranging between 50.34% and 61.67%. Elm Creek varietal with the highest fat content, was considered most suitable for oil extraction. The average chlorogenic acid content across all sunflower varietals was found to be 15.20 mg/g, with values ranging from 10.82 mg/g to 20.01 mg/g. The chlorogenic acid results suggested that sunflower seed meal hold strong antioxidant potential, but may present challenges due to chlorogenic acid’s reactivity during processing. It will require optimized processing to mitigate sensory issues associated with phenolic acid-protein interactions.

Conclusions: Therefore, the findings of this study support the utilization of sunflower seed meal as a high-quality protein source, while taking into account the environmental and ethical concerns related to animal agriculture.

Funding Sources: This research is being supported by funding received from the Manitoba Crop Alliance, Canada.