Flocculation-enhanced protein recovery from fish processing by-products by isoelectric solubilization/precipitation

Muscle proteins were recovered from rainbow trout processing by-products (fish meat leftover on bones, head, skin, and etc.) by isoelectric solubilization/precipitation. Muscle proteins precipitated at pH 5.5 are typically recovered by high-speed centrifugation at a laboratory scale, which appears to impede process scale-up. Our objective was to investigate the effect of flocculants on separation of precipitated proteins from process water (supernatant). Flocculants with different surface charge properties and molecular weights (M_w) were added to precipitated proteins. Protein separation was evaluated by determining optical density (OD) of the supernatant using Bradford dye-binding method. A high M_w anionic flocculent at 100 mg/L resulted in excellent protein separation following 10 min reaction. The OD of the supernatant was comparable to that of clear water, suggesting that even water-soluble fish muscle proteins were removed from the process water. Freeze-thaw cycles, commonly encountered in the fish processing industry, resulted in even more rapid flocculation reaction. This flocculent could be added to a bio-reactor that precipitates muscle proteins at pH 5.5 in a continuous isoelectric solubilization/precipitation system. However, effects of the flocculants on human and animal health should be determined and appropriate approvals obtained before the recovered muscle proteins can be used in human food products and/or animal feeds.