Antioxidant and antihypertensive activity of bovine whey protein concentrate enzymatic hydrolysates

Abstract

Whey is a highly polluting by-product of cheese processing. However, it has valuable nutritional properties since it is a rich and balanced source of proteins and amino acids. Therefore, it has a broad range of functional properties that can be exploited for diverse applications. Research has shown how the enzymatic hydrolysis of whey proteins releases bioactive peptides. In the present study, the hydrolysis of whey protein concentrate (WCP) was performed using purified Sporisorium reilianum aspartyl protease (Eap1), commercial enzymes chymotrypsin (C) and trypsin (T), as well as different enzymatic combinations in order to determine which enzyme or combination allowed for the release of peptides presenting the highest antioxidant and antihypertensive activity levels; our results indicated that hydrolysis with Eap1 releases the best-performing peptides in comparison with individual enzymes and their combinations.