Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Perilla Seed Protein: Optimization, Physico-Functional Evaluation, and Structural Characterization
摘要
The growing demand for sustainable protein sources has spurred research into plant-based protein matrices. The present study optimises enzymatic hydrolysis conditions for perilla seed protein hydrolysate (PPH) using a central composite design. It investigated the effects of enzyme concentration (pepsin), hydrolysis temperature, and hydrolysis time on protein yield, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic content of perilla seed meal (PSM) extract. Results demonstrated that the antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, and protein yield were found to be 67.76%, 6.26 mg/mL, and 60.17%, respectively, under optimal conditions (enzyme concentration 15 U, hydrolysis temperature 35 °C, and hydrolysis time 5 h), highlighting the predominance of amino acids such as glycine (46,980.67 pmol/mg), glutamic acid (19,612.02 pmol/mg), aspartic acid (16,973.23 pmol/mg), and methionine (2867.51 pmol/mg). FT-IR analysis revealed characteristic peaks of amides I, II, and III, confirming the presence of proteins. Enzyme-assisted hydrolysis (EAH) enhanced protein yield, reduced particle size, and improved the morphology of EPPH as compared to the PPH. EPPH showed a smooth surface with a fibrous network. Notably, proteolysis significantly enhanced the functionality of the hydrolysates. At pH 11, EAH PPH exhibited higher solubility, emulsification stability index, emulsification activity index, and foaming capacity compared to PPH. These findings suggest that enzyme hydrolysis can effectively improve the functionality of PSM proteins, indicating potential applications in the food industry.
Graphical Abstract