Improving Extraction Efficiency and Functional Properties of Flaxseed Mucilage With Cold Plasma Treatment

ABSTRACT

Flaxseed mucilage is a plant‐based hydrocolloid with desirable functional properties suitable for applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. In the present study, cold plasma (CP) treatment was employed to enhance mucilage extraction, with flaxseeds exposed to low‐pressure dielectric barrier discharge plasma at 1 and 2 kV for 4, 8, and 12 min. As a result, the mucilage yield increased from 9.42% to 13.00% following treatment at 1 kV for 8 min. This enhancement was attributed to surface alterations induced by reactive plasma species, which increased water permeability during extraction. Furthermore, total sugar content significantly rose from 84.24 to 102.29 mg glucose equivalent mL ⁻¹ . In addition, functional properties improved, with oil‐holding capacity increasing from 6.30 to 10.12 g/g and swelling index rising from 18.33 to 26.88 g/g. Color difference (Δ E ) varied significantly, with the highest value (15.732) at 1 kV for 8 min and the lowest (1.792) at 2 kV for 12 min, indicating that visual changes varied with treatment voltage and duration. However, the emulsifying activity remained unaffected by the CP treatment. Notably, mucilage extracted at 1 kV for 8 min showed pseudoplastic flow behavior, which is helpful in food applications as a fat replacer in salad dressings, sauces, beverages, and yogurt, where flow under shear is required for processing and consumer use. Therefore, CP treatment proved to be an effective method for improving the yield and functional properties of flaxseed mucilage for food applications.