Biological Potential of Novel Specific Casein-Derived Peptides

This study aimed to evaluate the biological potential of functional food, i.e., specific peptides obtained from the hydrolysis of milk protein, by assessing their antioxidant and antibacterial properties. For the preparation of casein hydrolysates, commercial enzymes were added to 10% casein solution in a 1:200 (w/v) ratio, and samples were collected each hour. Based on the assessment of the degree of hydrolysis (DH) of casein hydrolysates, it was observed that the concentration of all enzymatic hydrolysates increased rapidly from 30 to 40 minutes. However, no change was observed in their concentrations after 150 minutes. Protamex® and Neutrase® exhibited the highest DH when compared to other enzymes. Furthermore, SDS-PAGE was performed for analyzing the proteolytic pattern of each enzyme, except for Flavourzyme®, and peptides in the size range of 20-25 kDa were identified. Subsequently, peptides produced by two enzymes were isolated using a preparative liquid chromatography system. Overall, NF3, NF4, PF5, and PF6 showed higher antioxidant potential than other peptide fractions. Moreover, NF7 and PF3 exhibited the highest antibacterial activity. In this study, we evaluated the biological potential of novel casein-derived peptides that may find application in the food and healthcare industry.