• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.540-546
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• 1999

The purpose of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial effects and characteristics of protamine extracted from spermary of tuna. The result of amino acids analysis showed that the contents of arginine were 46%. It was 10% lower when compared to standard protamine (SP: Asama kasei LTD, Japan). Also, there were significant difference in the contents of proline adn glycine. The average molecular weights of main protein in TP were 13,400 Da, whereas those in SP were 11,300 Da and 2,600 Da. To increase antimicrobial activities of TP, pepsin or trypsin was treated at $37^{\circ}C$. After TP was hydrolyzed with pepsin (pepsin hydrolyzed protamine: PHP) for 4hrs, the average molecular weights of the main protein were 11,300 Da and 3,900 Da, and the antimicrobial activities were significantly increased compared to TP. After TP was hydrolyzed with trypsin (trypsin hydrolyzed protamine: THP) for more than 10 min, the average molecular weights of the main protein were below 2,500 Da. PHP had higher antimicrobial effects on some gram positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus plantarum) than SP. However, THP had no antimicrobial activities. When TP was hydrolyzed with pepsin (PHP), its antimicrobial activities increased in the same level with those of SP, and this increase might be resulted rather from the changes of molecular weights of the main protein than from the contents of arginine in protamine.