Abstract
To determine the optimum conditions for the enzymic hydrolysis against wheat gluten of high con centrations (6~14%, w/w, protein), a hydrolysis system combining weak acid pretreatment and enzymic hydrolysis was investigated. Alcalase showed the highest DH(degree of hydrolysis) of the tested proteases. After hydrolysis by alcalase, subsequently peptidases were applied for the better DH of the wheat gluten hydrolyzate. Peptidase NP2 showed the highest DH of the tested peptidases, but flavour zyme was shown for the lowest bitter taste of the resulting hydrolyzate. In order to minimize aggregation or gelling at higher initial substrate concentration during heat treatment, wheat gluten suspension was pretreated with possibly low concentrations of hydrochloric acid at 105oC for 1 hour, and then enzy matically hydrolysed with alcalase and subsequently with flavourzyme. Each required minimum concen tration of hydrochloric acid in the wheat gluten suspension of 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14%(w/w, protein) was 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.225, and 0.275N, respectively. After the subsequent enzymic treatment by alcalase and peptidase NP2 for 24 hrs, the nitrogen solubility in the final wheat gluten hydrolysates was increased to 94.9, 86.4, 85.3, 89.3 and 95.0%, and their amino nitrogen content was increased to 2.87, 5.68, 7.34, 9.71 and 12.50mg/m, respectively.