Proteomic dataset of aquafaba from canned chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) broth

Aquafaba is the viscous liquid generated from cooking of chickpeas. It is a secondary product of canned chickpea production which shows potential as a functional ingredient suitable for vegan applications. Although aquafaba is known to contain significant amounts of protein, its detailed composition remains uncharacterized. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics (Q Exactive) coupled with a protein database search approach was employed to identify proteins present in aquafaba from three biological replicates (A, B and C) of canned chickpea products. Proteins account for approximately 5.3% of the total weight of the dried aquafaba powder. In total, 78, 213 and 215 chickpea proteins were identified in aquafaba samples A, B and C respectively, of which only 66 were present in all three biological replicates and include nuclear, seed storage and membrane proteins involved in a variety of cellular functions of the legume. Significant variability was revealed among aquafaba samples which was predominantly manifested by the qualitative differences in protein composition. Data suggest that the process of aquafaba production needs to be standardized to ensure consistency in protein composition. The data presented is the first comprehensive dataset of the aquafaba proteome.