Complexation with Alginate in Pumpkin Leaf Protein Solutions for the Encapsulation of Folic Acid: The Effect of Extraction Protocols.

This study aimed to assess pumpkin leaves as a protein source and determine the feasibility of these proteins to form complexes with alginate for the encapsulation of folic acid. Different isolation protocols, two based on isoelectric precipitation (one with thermal pretreatment and the other with alkali pre-extraction) and one based on stepwise precipitation with ammonium sulfate, were compared regarding the yield and structural properties of the obtained leaf protein concentrates (LPC). The highest purity of protein was achieved using the thermal-acid protocol and the salting-out protocol at 40% saturation.