Changes in activity coefficient gamma(w) of water and the foaming capacity of protein during hydrolysis

The changes in the interaction between food proteins and water and in their surface functional property during enzymatic hydrolysis were investigated. Ovalbumin, a soy protein isolate (SPI), and casein were hydrolyzed with trypsin, and the degree of hydrolysis, water activity a(w), and foaming capacity of each hydrolysate were measured. Ovalbumin showed the minimum value for a(w), and the values for SPI and casein progressively decreased during hydrolysis. Therefore, the activity coefficient of water, gamma(w) (=a(w)/x(w), where x(w) is the mole fraction of water) was obtained to remove the influence of mole change and to examine the interaction of protein hydrolysates with water. In order to calculate x(w) in a sample during protein hydrolysis, a method for roughly estimating the number of moles of the protein hydrolysate in a solution was developed. The strategy was to modify the TNBS (2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid) method and to combine this method with the modified Ellman method and the determination of lysine by an amino acid analyzer. During enzymatic hydrolysis, each protein sample showed a minimum gamma(w) value and maximum foaming capacity.