UC Davis

With growing environmental concerns, the need for sustainable practices in the food industry has become more pressing than ever before. While certain plant species such as soy have gained popularity as valuable food sources, there are numerous other underutilized plants, including beans, lentils, and marine organisms such as macroalgae, which remain largely unstudied. These overlooked plants offer not only nutritional benefits, such as high protein content, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and bioactive compounds, but are also key to reducing environmental impact through decreased land and water usage, and their crucial roles in sustainable ecosystems and agriculture. Despite these benefits, the incorporation of these underutilized plants in food products like snacks and plant-based meat alternatives have been limited, largely due to inadequate characterization of these plants. The lack of in-depth understanding of these plants' macromolecular compositions and the impact of green extraction processes has impeded their full utilization. This thesis serves as the first steps to addressing this gap by employing proteomics and glycomics techniques to evaluate the effects of green processing strategies on the release of valuable macromolecules such as proteins and carbohydrates. By understanding the influence of environmentally friendly extraction methods on plant protein and carbohydrate compositions, this work serves to guide the development of sustainable food processing strategies with the aim of increasing the diversity of sustainable plants utilized in the food industry. Ultimately, harnessing the full potential of underutilized plants can contribute to mitigating environmental issues and promote a more resilient and sustainable food ecosystem.

Chapter I introduces proteomics and glycomics as strategies to increase understanding of proteins and carbohydrates of underutilized plants and the influence of green processing techniques on these macromolecules. The environmentally friendly extraction processes featured in this work are also discussed.

Chapter II focuses on the proteomics and glycomics analyses of black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris). The effects of green extraction methods on protein composition are investigated, and oligosaccharides stemming from the breakdown of bean waste byproducts are characterized.

Chapter III utilizes proteomics and glycomics techniques to characterize the composition of Lens culinaris Medik, commonly known as lentils. The impact of green extraction methods on protein composition and the characterization of oligosaccharides derived from the breakdown of lentil waste byproducts are investigated.

Chapter IV examines the proteins and carbohydrates extracted from giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), a macroalgae from the Pacific Ocean. Proteins, oligosaccharides, and monosaccharides are characterized to guide the development of environmentally friendly food processing technologies.