Abstract: Sunflower seed meal, a by-product of sunflower seed oil production, is a high-quality protein source that is nutritious in terms of abundant protein, has reasonable amino acid composition and is hypoallergenic. At present, most reviews on sunflower seed meal focus on the fields of its processing and application status, comprehensive utilization, active ingredients, modification technologies and application in feed. However, due to the presence of polyphenols (mainly chlorogenic acid), sunflower seed meal is susceptible to browning during preparation and processing, which seriously restricts its deep development and utilization. The major techniques for the removal of chlorogenic acid from sunflower seed meal include water extraction, organic solvent extraction, physical field assisted method, enzymatic method, salt inhibition method and resin adsorption, but they have been scarcely reviewed systematically. In this paper, we review the latest research progress on the composition of sunflower seed protein, its interaction with chlorogenic acid, the removal methods of chlorogenic acid from sunflower seed meal, and the application of sunflower seed protein in the food field in order to provide a reference for further processing and utilization of sunflower seed meal.

Key words: sunflower seed meal; protein; chlorogenic acid; removal methods; application