Protein isolates were obtained from marine hydrobionts by the method of isoelectric precipitation with a preliminary stage of protein alkaline solubilisation. Northern blue whiting was chosen as the raw material. Various technological modes of the solubilisation stage were used: the temperature of the reaction mixture was 4 or 20 °C, and the duration was 4 or 16 h. The yield of the product was 44-45% with a high content of the main component (protein) equal to about 95%. It has been shown that a decrease in the temperature and duration of the alkaline solubilisation stage provides the production of protein isolates with good technological properties, a low solubility, high swelling and high emulsifying ability, necessary for its use in the production of functional food products, including therapeutic and prophylactic effects. These technological properties are explained by a change in the composition and structure of the protein, the change being an increase in the content of essential amino acids and the proportion of α-helices in the polypeptide chain. The main patterns obtained will be used to obtain protein isolates from marine molluscs.
Keywords: alkaline solubilisation; functional properties; isoelectric precipitation; marine hydrobionts; protein isolate.