Enzymatic Preparation and Antioxidant Activities of Protein Hydrolysates from Tenebrio molitor Larvae (Mealworm)

갈색거저리 유충 단백가수분해물의 제조 및 항산화 활성

The present study was carried out to evaluate the applicability of Tenebrio molitor larvae (mealworm) as a health functional food material in order to contribute to the development of the domestic insect industry and health functional food industry. Protein hydrolysates were prepared from mealworm powder by enzymatic hydrolysis using five different proteases (alcalase, bromelain, flavourzyme, neutrase, and papain), and the hydrolysates were then tested for their antioxidant activities. Based on available amino group contents and sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analyses, mealworms treated with alcalase ($4,781.39{\mu}g/mL$), flavourzyme ($5,429.35{\mu}g/mL$), or neutrase ($3,155.55{\mu}g/mL$) for 24 h showed high degree of hydrolysis (HD) value, whereas HD values of bromelain ($1,800{\mu}g/mL$) and papain-treated ($1,782.61{\mu}g/mL$) mealworms were much lower. Protein hydrolysates showing high HD values were further separated into > 3 kDa and ${\leq}3kDa$ fractions by a centrifugal filter system and then lyophilized, and the production yields of the low molecular weight protein hydrolysates (${\leq}3kDa$) by alcalase, flavourzyme, and neutrase were 42.05%, 26.27%, and 30.01%, respectively. According to the RC_{50} values of the protein hydrolysates (${\leq}3kDa$) obtained from three different antioxidant analyses, all three hydrolysates showed similar antioxidant activities. Thus, alcalase hydrolysates showing the highest production yield of low molecular weight protein hydrolysates were further tested for their inhibitory effects on peroxidation of linoleic acid by measuring thiobarbituric acid values, and the results show that peroxidation of untreated linoleic acid increased dramatically during 6 days of incubation. However, pretreatment with the hydrolysates ($100{\sim}800{\mu}g/mL$) significantly inhibited linoleic acid peroxidation in a dose-dependent manner over 6 days.

갈색거저리유충 분말을 4%(w/v)의 기질용액으로 제조한 후, 기질대비 단백질 가수분해 효소(alcalase, flavourzyme, neutrase, bromelain, papain)를 각 1%(w/w) 첨가하여 갈색거저리 유충 단백가수분해물을 제조하였다. 24시간 반응시킨 각 효소별 가수분해물의 특성을 SDS-PAGE로 확인한 결과 alcalase 단백가수분해물의 가수분해가 우수함을 확인하였으며, available amino group의 농도는 flavourzyme, alcalase, neutrase 단백가수분해물 각각 $5,429.35{\mu}g/mL$, $4,781.39{\mu}g/mL$, $3,155.55{\mu}g/mL$의 값을 나타내 상대적으로 높은 가수분해도를 보였고, bromelain($1,800{\mu}g/mL$)과 papain($1,782.61{\mu}g/mL$)의 경우 상당히 낮은 값을 보였다. 가수분해도가 높게 나타난 3종의 단백가수분해물을 한외여과막을 통해 분자량이 3 kDa 이하로 분리한 후 동결 건조하였으며, 이 동결건조물을 이용하여 항산화 실험을 수행하였다. 갈색거저리 유충 가수분해물의 DPPH 라디칼 소거 활성은 alcalase 단백가수분해물의 $RC_{50}$값이 $339.34{\mu}g/mL$로 나타났고, flavourzyme 가수분해물 $379.35{\mu}g/mL$, neutrase 가수분해물 $398.93{\mu}g/mL$로 나타났으며, ABTS 라디칼 소거 활성은 neutrase 단백가수분해물의 $RC_{50}$값이 $29.84{\mu}g/mL$였고, alcalase $36.90{{\mu}g/mL$ 및 flavourzyme $56.03{\mu}g/mL$ 순으로 나타났다. Hydrogen peroxide 소거 활성은 alcalase 단백가수분해물의 $RC_{50}$값이 $65.97{\mu}g/mL$였고, flavourzyme $121.67{\mu}g/mL$ 및 neutrase $70.38{\mu}g/mL$의 값을 보였다. 상기 3가지 항산화 실험에서 우수한 항산화 활성을 보이며, 저분자 펩타이드 생산 효율이 가장 높았던(42.05%) alcalase 단백가수분해물을 이용해 linoleic acid에 대한 지질과산화 억제 활성을 측정한 결과, 6일 동안 $100{\sim}800{\mu}g/mL$의 농도에서 처리 농도에 의존적으로 유의적인 항산화능을 보였다.