Produção e caracterização de peptídeos de soro de leite em reator enzimático de membrana utilizando hidrólise sequencial

Abstract

Whey is an abundant by-product of cheese processing recognized as a compound of high nutritional value. Whey proteins are a source of amino acids whose biological properties essential for the human body manifest themselves after the cleavage of the peptide bonds. The purpose of this work was to develop a process for obtaining low molecular mass peptides from whey protein concentrate through a combined enzymatic hydrolysis and membrane filtration process. For this, the substrate was subjected to the action of the enzyme Alcalase® 2.4L in an Enzymatic Membrane Reactor (EMR) equipped with 5 kDa membrane, and the volume retained in the reactor at the end of the process was subjected to the action of the enzyme Flavourzyme® 1000L in a batch reactor. The first process was stable for 14 hours reaching a degree of hydrolysis of 22% and conversion of 69.47%, resulting in peptides with molecular mass between 400 and 3400 Da, approximately. Sequential hydrolysis resulted in peptides with molecular mass between 80 and 1800 Da, with antioxidant activity 16 times higher than those obtained in the first hydrolysis and also less bitter. The combination of the two processes allowed the recovery of 100% of the protein fed.