Summary: | Cheese whey, a byproduct of the cheese-making industry, is discarded in many countries in the environment, causing pollution. This byproduct contains high-quality proteins containing encrypted biologically active peptides. The objective of this work was to evaluate the suitability of using this waste to produce bioactive peptides by enzymatic hydrolysis with a digestive enzyme. Cheese whey from white cheese (Panela cheese) was concentrated to increase total protein and hydrolyzed with trypsin. A central composite design was used to find the best conditions of pH and temperature, giving the higher antioxidant capacity and Δ Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition (Δ ACEI) activity. Higher biological activities were found when hydrolysis was performed at 52 °C and a pH of 8.2. The maximum value for the 2,2- diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-scavenging activity was 26%, while the higher Δ ACE inhibition was 0.89. Significant correlations were found between these biological activities and the peptides separated by HPLC. The hydrophilic fraction (HI) showed highly significant correlations with the antioxidant capacity (<i>r</i> = 0.770) and with Δ ACE inhibition (<i>r</i> = 0.706). Antioxidant capacity showed a significant positive correlation with 34 peaks and Δ ACE inhibition with 33 peaks. The cheese whey was successfully used as raw material to produce peptides showing antioxidant capacity and ACEI activity.
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