Milk protein hydrolysates obtained with immobilized alcalase and neutrase on magnetite nanoparticles: Characterization and antigenicity study

Recent Advances and Perspectives on Food-Grade Immobilisation Systems for Enzymes

The use of enzyme immobilisation is becoming increasingly popular in beverage processing, as this method offers significant advantages, such as enhanced enzyme performance and expanded applications, while allowing for easy process termination via simple filtration. This literature review analysed approximately 120 articles, published on the Web of Science between 2000 and 2023, focused on enzyme immobilisation systems for beverage processing applications. The impact of immobilisation on enzymatic activity, including the effects on the chemical and kinetic properties, recyclability, and feasibility in continuous processes, was evaluated. Applications of these systems to beverage production, such as wine, beer, fruit juices, milk, and plant-based beverages, were examined. The immobilisation process effectively enhanced the pH and thermal stability but caused negative impacts on the kinetic properties by reducing the maximum velocity and Michaelis-Menten constant. However, it allowed for multiple reuses and facilitated continuous flow processes. The encapsulation also allowed for easy process control by simplifying the removal of the enzymes from the beverages via simple filtration, negating the need for expensive heat treatments, which could result in product quality losses.

Nanoproteases: Alternatives to Natural Protease for Biotechnological Applications

Some nanomaterials with intrinsic protease-like activity have the advantages of good stability, biosafety, low price, large-scale preparation and unique property of nanomaterials, which are promising alternatives for natural proteases in various applications. An especial term, "nanoprotease", has been coined to stress the intrinsic proteolytic property of these nanomaterials. As a new generation of artificial proteases, they have become a burgeoning field, attracting many researchers to design and synthesize high performance nanoproteases. In this review, we summarize recent progress on all types of nanoproteases with regard of their activity, mechanism and application and introduce a new and effective strategy for engineering high-performance nanoproteases. In addition, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of nanoprotease research in the future.

Characterisation and beneficial effects of a Lupinus angustifolius protein hydrolysate obtained by immobilisation of the enzyme alcalase®

Bioactive peptides have been considered potential components for the future functional foods and nutraceuticals generation. The enzymatic method of hydrolysis has several advantages compared to those of chemical hydrolysis and fermentation. Despite this fact, the high cost of natural and commercial proteases limits the commercialization of hydrolysates in the food and pharmacological industries. For this reason, more efficient and economically interesting techniques, such as the immobilisation of the enzyme, are gaining attention. In the present study, a new protein hydrolysate from Lupinus angustifolius was generated by enzymatic hydrolysis through the immobilisation of the enzyme alcalase® (imLPH). After the chemical and nutritional characterization of the imLPH, an in vivo study was carried out in order to evaluate the effect of 12 weeks treatment with imLPH on the plasmatic lipid profile and antioxidant status in western-diet-fed apolipoprotein E knockout mice. The immobilisation of alcalase® generated an imLPH with a degree of hydrolysis of 29.71 ± 2.11%. The imLPH was mainly composed of protein (82.50 ± 0.88%) with a high content of glycine/glutamine, arginine, and aspartic acid/asparagine. The imLPH-treatment reduced the amount of abdominal white adipose tissue, total plasma cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglycerides, as well as the cardiovascular risk indexes (CRI) -I, CRI-II, and atherogenic index of plasma. The imLPH-treated mice also showed an increase in the plasma antioxidant capacity. For the first time, this study demonstrates the beneficial in vivo effect of a lupin protein hydrolysate obtained with the alcalase® immobilised and points out this approach as a possible cost-effective solution at the expensive generation of the hydrolysate through the traditional batch conditions with soluble enzymes.

Role of Clay Substrate Molecular Interactions in Some Dairy Technology Applications

The use of clay materials in dairy technology requires a multidisciplinary approach that allows correlating clay efficiency in the targeted application to its interactions with milk components. For profitability reasons, natural clays and clay minerals can be used as low-cost and harmless food-compatible materials for improving key processes such as fermentation and coagulation. Under chemical stability conditions, clay materials can act as adsorbents, since anionic clay minerals such as hydrotalcite already showed effectiveness in the continuous removal of lactic acid via in situ anion exchange during fermentation and ex situ regeneration by ozone. Raw and modified bentonites and smectites have also been used as adsorbents in aflatoxin retention and as acidic species in milk acidification and coagulation. Aflatoxins and organophilic milk components, particularly non-charged caseins around their isoelectric points, are expected to display high affinity towards high silica regions on the clay surface. Here, clay interactions with milk components are key factors that govern adsorption and surface physicochemical processes. Knowledge about these interactions and changes in clay behavior according to the pH and chemical composition of the liquid media and, more importantly, clay chemical stability is an essential requirement for understanding process improvements in dairy technology, both upstream and downstream of milk production. The present paper provides a comprehensive review with deep analysis and synthesis of the main findings of studies in this area. This may be greatly useful for mastering milk processing efficiency and envisaging new prospects in dairy technology.

Dual Action of Reduced Allergenicity and Improved Memory of Instant Soybean Powder Hydrolysates

Soy allergens are susceptible to inducing allergic reactions in infants and young animals, which have an impact on the effective daily utilization of proteins. In this study, we used Alcalase-hydrolyzed instant soybean powder (ISP) to clarify the sensitization changes of instant soybean powder hydrolysates (ISPH), and we explored the assisted memory-enhancing effects. BALB/c mice in the ISPH group showed significant improvement in the allergy symptoms, with their allergy symptom scores decreasing to (1.57 ± 0.53) and their specific serum IgE and IgG1 binding capacity decreasing by 28.00 and 25.73% (P < 0.05), which suppressed the mast cell degranulation rate. Meanwhile, the plasma HIS and IL-4 levels decreased by 12.59 and 25.32%, and the plasma INF-γ and IL- 10 levels increased by 30.64 and 27.79%, which obviously regulated the imbalance of Th1/Th2 cells and attenuated the tissue damage (P < 0.05). Furthermore, ISPH improved behavioral characteristics, increased cholinergic system activity, reduced neuronal cell damage or apoptosis, and increased the number of Nissl bodies to help improve memory in Kunming mice (P < 0.05). In general, alcalase-hydrolyzed ISP had the dual effects of reducing allergenicity and aiding in memory improvement.