PEPTIDE PROFILE OF PROTEIN HYDROLYSATES FROM WHEAT FLOUR

Abstract

Protein hydrolysates have been increasingly used in specific formulations. This study aimed to obtain protein hydrolysates from wheat flour with appropriate peptide profile, from a nutritional point of view, i.e., containing high di-tripeptide and free amino acid contents, as well as low amounts of large peptides. Different hydrolytic conditions and sample treatments were tested, with the successive association of a commercial pancreatin and a raw enzymatic extract from the pineapple skin (RE). The order of enzyme addition, reaction temperature, enzyme:substrate ratio (E:S), and the effect of homogenization with ultra-turrax were evaluated, aiming the cost reduction on a large scale process. The peptide profile was evaluated by using a fractionation method, with size-exclusion-HPLC, followed by a Corrected Fraction Area method, for quantifying peptides and free amino acids. The best peptide profile was found for the hydrolysate obtained when pancreatin (E:S = 4:100) acted firstly for 3 hours and 30 minutes, followed by RE (E:S = 10:100), for 1 hour and 30 minutes, at optimal pH and temperature conditions of each enzyme, reaching higher di-tripeptide contents (16,98%), one of the highest free amino acids contents (42,70%), and the lowest large peptides content (13,09%). The use of ultra-turrax had no effect on the peptide profile.