Foam fractionation for effective recovery of leaf protein from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

Foam fractionation for recovering leaf protein from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) has been investigated. The extraction yield of alfalfa leaf protein (ALP) from the dried alfalfa leaves reached 71.90% under the extraction conditions of pH 8.0, temperature 70 degrees C, and extracting time 40 min. For strengthening foam drainage at room temperature, a novel foam fractionation column with a cross-internal component covered superhydrophobic coating was developed. By using the extraction liquor as the feeding solution, a two-stage foam fractionation had been performed. Under the suitable operation conditions, the enrichment ratio and the recovery percentage of ALP were 4.33 and 89.0%, respectively.