Byproduct Valorization of Vegetable Oil Industry Through Biotechnological Approach.

Abstract

Vegetable oil industry produces oil cakes or meals as byproducts after the expulsion and/or extraction of oil from oleaginous materials including oilseeds. The oil cakes or meals can serve various needs of humankind once utilized properly not only in the form of food, feed, and/or concentrated manures but also as sources of various nutraceutically, pharmaceutically, and/or industrially important compounds or phytochemicals. The presence of protein, mineral, and special constituents in oil cake or meal makes it an important component of food and/or feed formulations, provided it is enabled by scientific and technological information and methodologies and supported by enabling policy ecosystem. In this context, there exists a need to review the latest literature on various technological approaches for the valorization of the byproducts of vegetable oil industry. The present chapter is an attempt to bring to the readers an up-to-date and comprehensive information on research and technology in the area of utilizing vegetable oil cakes/meals by way of harnessing the nutritional components and alleviating the problems of antinutritional and/or toxic (or poisonous) components. Though various approaches are discussed, a special emphasis is laid on biotechnological approaches for enhancing the value of byproducts of vegetable oil industry. Also, a special effort is made for providing future prospects, highlighting the key area of research for the future pursuit and prosecution. This chapter is addressed to the researchers and research managers from both industry as well as academia interested or involved in promoting the byproduct utilization of vegetable oil industry in meeting nutritional and/or food/feed security at global level in the scenario of never receding human population and ever-changing climatic conditions.