Abstract
Rapeseed meal (RSM), a by-product of oilseed extraction connected to the agri-food and biofuel sectors, is currently used as animal feed and for other low-value purposes. With a biorefinery approach, RSM could be valorized as a source of bio-based molecules for high-value applications. This study provides a chemical characterization of RSM in the perspective of its valorization. A qualitative study of main functional groups by fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was integrated with a chemical characterization of macronutrients, minerals by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), phenolic acids and lipid components by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), HPLC-diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/flame ionization detector (GC-MS/FID). The study, conducted on different lots of RSM collected over a one-year period from an oil pressing factory serving a biofuel biorefinery, highlighted a constant quality over time of RSM, characterized by high protein (31–34%), fiber (33–40%) and mineral (5.5–6.8%) contents. Polyphenol extracts showed a significant antioxidant activity and a prevalence of sinapic acid, accounting for more than 85% of total phenolic acids (395–437 mg kg−1 RSM). Results highlight the potentialities of RSM for further valorization strategies that may lead to the creation of new cross-sector interconnections and bio-based value chains with improvement of the economics and sustainability of the bioeconomy sectors involved.
Highlights
Rapeseed is the second most cultivated oilseed crop worldwide after soybean, with a production accounting for 68 million tons in 2020, providing a global volume of nearly28 million metric tons of rapeseed oil worldwide [1]
In this paper we report the results of a study focused on the assessment of components of nutritional, cosmeceutical and nutraceutical interest in rapeseed meal obtained over a 1-year period by an oil processing plant serving a biofuel biorefinery
This study highlights the potentialities of rapeseed meal as a candidate feedstock for further valorization via subsequent biorefining processes
Summary
Rapeseed is the second most cultivated oilseed crop worldwide after soybean, with a production accounting for 68 million tons in 2020, providing a global volume of nearly28 million metric tons of rapeseed oil worldwide [1]. Rapeseed is the second most cultivated oilseed crop worldwide after soybean, with a production accounting for 68 million tons in 2020, providing a global volume of nearly. The European strategy for the promotion of protein crops encourages the production of protein-rich plants, including rapeseed, to reduce dependence on imported vegetable proteins (mainly soy from third countries) and accelerate the transition to more sustainable agri-food and farming systems [6]. The growth of rapeseed oil production coincides with a proportional production of a significant co-stream in the form of press cake or meal. This co-product, resulting after subsequent oil extractions from rapeseeds after the pressing process, is produced in large quantities worldwide (40 million tons/year) and in the EU (12.5 million tons in 2020), [7]
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