Characterization of bovine serum albumin hydrolysates prepared by subcritical water processing

The impact of subcritical water processing (SWP), in a temperature range of 240-300 °C, on the formation of hydrolysates from bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated in this study. SDS-PAGE analysis of the samples treated at all temperatures did not reveal any bands. Yield, as evaluated by the Kjeldahl and Biuret methods, varied and decreased beyond 280 °C (P < 0.05). The molecular mass of the hydrolysates was highly affected by temperature, with the formation of a new low molecular weight peak, as revealed by gel permeation chromatography. SWP at 280 °C caused the greatest release of free amino groups, as shown by the TNBS assay (P < 0.05). Regardless of the type of amino acids, the maximum amount was obtained at 280 °C. At this temperature, the generation of alanine and glycine was relatively high. The optimization of processing parameters may enhance the production of valuable peptides without the need for additional catalysts.