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@article{192755,
        author = {Shalaka Kalamnurikar and Smita Khodke and Dattatreya Kadam},
        title = {Optimization of Microwave Pre-treatment Process for Detoxification of Cottonseed Meal for Protein Extraction},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {9},
        pages = {2391-2401},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=192755},
        abstract = {Cotton Seed Meal (CSM) is a protein-rich by-product of the cottonseed oil industry with significant potential for human nutrition. However, its utilization is restricted due to the presence of gossypol, a toxic polyphenolic compound. The present study investigated microwave pre-treatment as a rapid, chemical-free technique for detoxification of cottonseed meal and enhancement of protein availability. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize microwave power, moisture content, and microwave time for effective reduction of free and total gossypol while maximizing protein content. The optimized conditions of the process of microwave pre-treatment were identified as 540 W microwave power, 26% moisture content, and 6 min microwave time. Under these optimized conditions, free gossypol was reduced to 0.045%, total gossypol to 1.19%, and protein content increased to 52.52%. Response surface plots illustrated the interactive effects of variables on detoxification and protein enhancement. The predicted values were validated experimentally with minimal deviation. The study demonstrates that microwave pre-treatment is an efficient and eco-friendly method for detoxifying cottonseed meal to safe regulatory limits while improving protein extractability, offering strong potential for food applications.},
        keywords = {Cottonseed meal, Gossypol detoxification, Microwave pre-treatment, Protein extraction},
        month = {February},
        }