Infrared and SERS sensors systems for the express detection of caffeic and chlorogenic acids in sunflower protein

The development of simple methods for assessing the quality and safety of plant materials, as well as monitoring the efficiency of their processing, is an important task for modern analytical chemistry. Infrared and SERS sensors systems can simultaneously provide non-destructive screening analysis to determine biologically active substances at different stages of the biotechnology process. A current example of the use of such sensor systems is the quality control of sunflower meal, a by-product of the process of extracting oil from sunflower seeds, which has a high protein content. At the moment, the use of sunflower meal in the food industry is still limited due to the high content of phenolic compounds (1-4 wt%), particularly chlorogenic and caffeic acids, the oxidation products of these easily bind to protein molecules, giving the final product a dark green color and bitter taste. In this regard, there is a high need to develop methods for rapid monitoring of the content of phenolic compounds in plant material.