Characterisation and foaming properties of hydrolysates derived from rapeseed isolate

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Protein Chemistry
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Rapeseed protein isolates are a valuable source of functional peptides.
• Hydrolysis is a key method for modifying protein functionality.
• Understanding different hydrolysis methods is crucial for optimizing protein derivatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare chemical (alkaline) and enzymatic (acidic) hydrolysis methods for rapeseed isolate.
• To characterize the resulting hydrolysates based on molecular weight, charge, and hydrophobicity.
• To evaluate the foaming properties of hydrolysates produced by different methods.

Main Methods:

• Chemical hydrolysis under alkaline conditions.
• Enzymatic proteolysis using pepsin under acidic conditions.
• Characterization of molecular weight, charge, and hydrophobicity.
• Foaming property analysis at different hydrolysis degrees and pH levels.

Main Results:

• Hydrolysis methods yielded rapeseed isolate derivatives with mean molecular weights ranging from 26 to 2.5 kDa.
• Chemical and enzymatic hydrolysates exhibited different physicochemical properties (charge, hydrophobicity) at equivalent hydrolysis levels.
• A hydrolysis degree of approximately 3% was found to optimize foaming properties for both methods.
• Rapeseed hydrolysates generated dense, slow-draining, and stable foams across basic, neutral, and acidic pH.

Conclusions:

• Both chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis can produce functional rapeseed protein hydrolysates.
• Optimized foaming properties can be achieved at a specific, limited degree of hydrolysis.
• Rapeseed protein hydrolysates exhibit robust foaming stability over a wide pH range, indicating broad applicability.