Proteases from aquatic organisms and their uses in the seafood industry

Abstract

The term ‘fish proteases’ refers to hydrolytic enzymes from aquatic species that catalyze degradation of peptide bonds in protein molecules. Proteases play a vital role in biotechnology, food processing and other industries, as well as in a variety of physiological processes (Table 6.1). There is considerable demand for enzymes with the right combination of properties for specific applications in industry. Worldwide sales of industrial enzymes were estimated at about $1.5 billion for 1990 with approximately 48% of all these sales deriving from proteases (Knorr and Sinskey, 1985). Proteases used in industry are mainly derived from plant, animal and microbial sources, whereas their counterparts derived from marine and other aquatic sources have not been extensively used. Some of the reasons for the under-utilization of fish proteases include the following: 1. relatively few studies have been carried out on these enzymes, hence there is limited information about their potential; 2. the seasonal nature of the source material which precludes supply in a steady manner; 3. the unfavorable attitude by workers to the ‘odors’ associated with the source material (i.e. fish offal).