Plant proteins can meet consumers' demand for healthy and sustainable alternatives to animal proteins. It has been reported to possess numerous health benefits and is widely used in the food industry. However, conventional extraction methods are time-consuming, energy-intensive, as well as environmentally unfriendly. Plant proteins are also limited in application due to off-flavors, allergies, and anti-nutritional factors. Therefore, this paper discusses the challenges and limitations of conventional extraction processes. The current advances in green extraction technologies are also summarized. In addition, methods to improve the nutritional value, bioactivity, functional and organoleptic properties of plant proteins, and strategies to reduce their allergenicity are mentioned. Finally, examples of applications of plant proteins in the food industry are presented. This review aims to stimulate thinking and generate new ideas for future research. It will also provide new ideas and broad perspectives for the application of plant proteins in the food industry.
This work investigates the use of novel BiOI@ZIF-8 nanocomposite for the removal of acetaminophen (Ace) from synthetic wastewater. The samples were analyzed using FTIR, XRD, XPS, DRS, PL, FESEM-EDS, and ESR techniques. The effects of the loading capacity of ZIF-8 on the photocatalytic oxidation performance of bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI) were studied. The photocatalytic degradation of Ace was maximized by optimizing pH, reaction time and the amount of photocatalyst. On this basis, the removal mechanisms of the target pollutant by the nanocomposite and its photodegradation pathways were elucidated. Under optimized conditions of 1 g/L of composite, pH 6.8, and 4 h of reaction time, it was found that the BiOI@ZIF-8 (w/w = 1:0.01) nanocomposite exhibited the highest Ace removal (94%), as compared to that of other loading ratios at the same Ace concentration of 25 mg/L. Although this result was encouraging, the treated wastewater still did not satisfy the required statutory of 0.2 mg/L. It is suggested that the further biological processes need to be adopted to complement Ace removal in the samples. To sustain its economic viability for wastewater treatment, the spent composite still could be reused for consecutive five cycles with 82% of regeneration efficiency. Overall, this series of work shows that the nanocomposite was a promising photocatalyst for Ace removal from wastewater samples.