Abstract
This study evaluated the effect of high-speed homogenisation (HSH), combined with pH adjustment, on the extraction of proteins from Arthrospira platensis and the in vitro protein digestibility of the treated microalgal biomass. Combining HSH and pH treatment effectively disrupted A. platensis cells and enhanced protein extraction. Optimum conditions for protein extraction were determined as follows: HSH at 6970 rpm for 2 min, followed by adjusting the pH to 11.7 as predicted using a polynomial regression model. It was also observed that increasing the HSH treatment speed to 23,000 rpm reduced protein digestion during a simulated gastric phase digestion by 31.73%. In summary, HSH combined with pH treatment was found to be an effective method for rupturing A. platensis cells to facilitate protein extraction yield, but at elevated HSH treatment speeds, it can result in a reduction of the extent of protein hydrolysis during the simulated gastrointestinal digestion of the treated microalgal biomass.