Functionalities and antioxidant properties of protein hydrolysates from the muscle of ornate threadfin bream treated with pepsin from skipjack tuna

Functional properties and antioxidant activities of protein hydrolysates prepared from ornate threadfin bream (Nemipterus hexodon) muscle, using skipjack tuna pepsin, with different degrees of hydrolysis (DH: 10%, 20% and 30%), were evaluated. Emulsifying and foaming properties of hydrolysates were governed by their DH and concentrations used. Hydrolysates with 20% DH had the highest scavenging activities for ABTS and DPPH radicals. However, chelating activity of hydrolysates for ferrous ion increased as DH increased. Size exclusion chromatography of the hydrolysate with 20% DH using Sephadex G-25 revealed that antioxidative peptides with molecular weight of approximately 1.3 kDa exhibited the highest ABTS radical-scavenging activity. In vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion indicated that ABTS radical-scavenging activity of the antioxidative peptides was not affected by pepsin hydrolysis, whilst further digestion by pancreatin enhanced the activity. Therefore, protein hydrolysate from the muscle of ornate threadfin bream produced by skipjack tuna pepsin can be used as a promising source of functional peptides with antioxidant properties.