LAUSR

Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacores) is one of the largest commercially fished seafoods worldwide, with an annual output of 2-3 million tons. Liver from tuna is an abundant and underutilized by-product, which often ends up in animal feed or landfills (Daniel et al., 2016; Fang et al., 2019). However, tuna liver is characterized by a high protein level, and can be used as a potential source of protein powder. Protein powder, as a product of economic value, is widely used as additives, such as emulsifiers, adhesives, gelling agents and nutritional supplements, in processed foods for human consumption (Pires et al., 2012). In addition, other scholars (Pires et al., 2012) have reported that the protein obtained from marine species often exhibits better functional or bioactive properties than vegetable protein, which might be due to the special living environment in the ocean. Thus, production of protein powder from low-value tuna liver can contribute to the upgrading of this raw material.