Canola Protein: A Promising Protein Source for Delivery, Adhesive, and Material Applications

Abstract

AbstractCanola is second only to soy with regard to production volume, but the meal after extraction has limited value‐added applications, apart from its use as feed. Emerging interest in the meal is to develop nonfood applications such as delivery systems, adhesives, or plastics. This review critically evaluates the recent progress in research on the applications of value‐added canola protein, especially on nonfood applications such as plastics, films, packaging materials, adhesives, and drug delivery applications, and presents the perspectives on the future directions of canola protein utilization. Canola protein with suitable surface activity, gelation, interaction with other polymers, gastric and heat resistance, and biodegradability has the ability to form carriers to encapsulate, protect, and deliver bioactives/drugs. Canola‐based adhesives prepared by denaturation, chemical modification, cross‐linking, blending with synthetic resins, and nanomaterial addition show promising results in applications as adhesives. Canola protein‐based plastic films are mostly prepared by solution casting with the aid of plasticizers to improve the ductility of the protein network through increasing the mobility of protein chains; incorporation of cross‐linking agents could also increase protein–protein interactions toward the formation of stronger films. Canola proteins show wide potential for use as an encapsulant in delivery systems, as an adhesive, and as a plastic; however, further research is needed to improve the performance and to make it cost effective.