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The aim of this study was to prepare electro-activated solutions (EAS) from calcium lactate, calcium ascorbate, and an equimolar mixture of these two salts to obtain their corresponding acids and to study their physicochemical characteristics, in particular, pH, titratable acidity, pK a, and antioxidant activity. Indeed, the solutions were electro-activated in a reactor comprising three compartments (anodic, central, and cathodic) separated by anionic and cationic exchange membranes, respectively. The electric current intensities used were set at 250, 500, and 750 mA for a maximum period of 30 min. In general, the EAS obtained at 750 mA for 30 min showed the lowest pH (2.16, 2.08, 1.94) and pK a (3.13, 3.07, 2.90) values and the highest titratable acidity (0.107, 0.102, 0.109 mol/L) for calcium lactate, the mixture, and calcium ascorbate, respectively. In addition, the obtained results have demonstrated that the pH, titratable acidity, and pK a of the EAS varied proportionally and significantly (p < 0.001) with the duration of the experiment and the intensity of the electric current applied. To evaluate the migration of calcium (Ca2+) between the central and the cathodic compartments of the reactor, the concentration of Ca2+ was determined especially in the cathodic section by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The results showed that the migration of Ca2+ varied proportionally with the electric current intensity. In this context, analysis by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) have confirmed the production of lactic acid and ascorbic acid compared to standards. In addition, analysis by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free-radical scavenging technique confirmed high antioxidant activities of >90 and >83% for calcium ascorbate and the mixture, respectively, in comparison to the standard ascorbic acid (85%). Overall, this research has clearly demonstrated the eventual potential of electro-activation to produce highly reactive organic acids from their conjugated salts. These EAS can become excellent antimicrobial and sporicidal agents in the food processing industry.

This main objective of this work was to study the extraction of proteins and soluble carbohydrates and minerals from soybean meal by using acidic (anolyte) and alkaline (catholyte) extracting solutions produced by electro‐activation technology. The extracting solutions (anolyte and catholyte) were produced by electro‐activation at current intensities of 150, 300, and 450 mA during 10, 30, and 50 min. Both extraction methods were effective in extracting soluble dry matter. The catholyte was the most efficient in extracting proteins with a maximal yield of 45.55 ± 2.77%. Moreover, protein content increased with treatment time in catholyte extracts but decreased in anolyte‐extracted samples. SDS‐PAGE confirmed catholyte effectiveness in extracting more proteins with better quality than the anolyte. Similar results were observed for amino acid profiles, with samples extracted by the catholyte being the richest in both essential and nonessential amino acids. While the anolyte extracted the highest amounts of Mg2+ (78%), Ca2+ (37%), and P3− (37%) from the soybean meal, catholyte was more efficient in extracting Zn2+ (65%), Fe2+ (62%), and Cu2+ (42%) ions. The obtained samples by both anolytes and catholytes exhibited good carbohydrate profiles containing some prebiotic monosaccharides. The carbohydrate profile varied with voltage used for the production of electro‐activated solutions and time. Stachyose and raffinose content increased with voltage used for anolytes production while decreasing in catholytes samples. Similarly, the highest stachyose and raffinose contents were observed for catholyte‐treated samples for 10 min, with respective ranges of 206.64–222.49 and 31.17–34.29 mg/g. To a lesser extent, anolyte‐treated samples for a longer time (30–50 min) were more efficient in extracting those sugars.