Whey proteins hydrolysis using Alcalase and Flavourzyme

Abstract

Abstract One of the ways to solve the problem of whey utilization is to obtain enzymatic hydrolysates with bioactive properties and reduced antigenicity. A wide range of enzyme preparations are used for whey hydrolysis. The aim of the study was to select the conditions for enzymatic processing of whey protein concentrate to provide the most complete hydrolysis of all basic whey proteins using the most popular proteolytic enzyme preparations for the food industry – Alcalase and Flavourzyme. It was found that the completeness of whey proteins hydrolysis, determined by the yield of soluble and low molecular weight protein, as well as by the disappearance of protein bands on electrophoregrams of the obtained hydrolysates, largely depends on the enzyme preparations dosages and preliminary heat treatment of the substrate. Combined hydrolysis of the pretreated whey protein concentrate with 1% Alcalase and 2% Flavourzyme for 20.5 h at 50°C with stirring allows one to convert about 70% of whey proteins to a stable soluble state, not denatured by heating at 90°C, and 50% of the hydrolyzed protein has a molecular weight of less than 10 kDa. This treatment provides the elimination of the main antigenic whey proteins and obtaining the hydrolysates with a degree of hydrolysis of 36%, determined using the formol titration method.