Antihypertensive and Antioxidant Activity of Chia Protein Techno-Functional Extensive Hydrolysates

Twelve high-quality chia protein hydrolysates (CPHs) were produced from chia protein isolate (CPI) in a pilot plant of vegetable proteins. To obtain functional hydrolysate, four CPHs were hydrolyzed by the action of Alcalase, an endoprotease, and the other eight CPHs were hydrolyzed by the action of Flavourzyme, an exoprotease. Alcalase-obtained CPHs showed significant antihypertensive properties particularly, the CPH obtained after 15 min of hydrolysis with Alcalase (CPH15A), which showed a 36.2% hydrolysis degree. In addition, CPH15A increased the antioxidant capacity compared to CPI. The CPH15A physicochemical composition was characterized and compared to chia defatted flour (CDF) and CPI, and its techno-functional properties were determined by in vitro experiments through the analysis of its oil absorption capacity, as well as the capacity and stability of foaming and emulsifying, resulting in an emulsifier and stabilizer better than the intact protein. Therefore, the present study revealed that CPH15A has potent antihypertensive and antioxidant properties and can constitute an effective alternative to other plant protein ingredients sources that are being used in the food industry.Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities grant CYTED-2019/119RT056

Application of Thermo-Malaxation Followed by Three-Phase Centrifugation to Enable the Biorefinery of Alperujo, the Main By-Product of Olive Oil

The pomace olive oil sector needs to improve its use of the main olive oil by-product, called alperujo, which is currently used mainly for combustion after extraction of pomace oil, with all the problems this process entails due to the high degree of humidity, organic load and phytotoxic substances. In this work, a solution at an industrial level that uses thermo-malaxation at a temperature close to 65 °C for one or two hours followed by centrifugation in three phases is proposed. In this way, over 40% of the pomace oil that is rich in minor compounds, a solid with a lower degree of humidity (55%), and a liquid aqueous fraction that is rich in bioactive compounds such as phenolics and sugars are obtained. This aqueous fraction can be treated through subsequent storage stages to increase its content of the main phenolic, hydroxytyrosol, to up to 1.77 g/L, decreasing its percentage of insoluble solids by up to 1.9%, making it possible to obtain extracts that are rich in hydroxytyrosol using systems that are commonly in place at the industrial level. The aqueous fraction, without phenolics, could be used for energy production. A solid with a slightly higher fat content than the initial alperujo remains, thus the rest of the oil content can be extracted from it using solvent, making it, once defatted, suitable for application in subsequent bioprocesses

Hemp protein hydrolysates modulate inflammasome-related genes in microglial cells

A prolonged inflammatory response can lead to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Enzymatic hydrolysis is a sustainable way to increase the value of protein sources by obtaining peptides that can exert bioactivity. Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) protein hydrolysates have been proven to exert anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, two hemp protein hydrolysate (HPHs), obtained with Alcalase as sole catalyst, or with Alcalase followed by Flavourzyme, were evaluated as inflammatory mediators (TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10), microglial polarization markers (Ccr7, iNos, Arg1, and Ym1), and genes related to inflammasome activation (Nlrp3, Asc, Casp1, and Il18), employing the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation model in murine BV-2 microglial cells. A significant decrease of the expression of proinflammatory genes (e.g., Tnfα, Ccr7, inos, and Nlrp3, among others) and increase of the expression anti-inflammatory cytokines in microglial cells was observed after treatment with the test HPHs. This result in the cell model suggests a polarization toward an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype. Our results show that the evaluated HPHs show potential neuroprotective activity in microglial cells via the inflammasome

Identification and characterization of novel antioxidant protein hydrolysates from kiwicha (amaranthus caudatus l.)

: Kiwicha (Amaranthus caudatus) is considered one of the few multipurpose pseudocereals for its potential use not only as a source of nutrients and fiber but also for its bioactive compounds. In recent years, antioxidant peptides are commonly used as functional ingredient of food. Herein, a kiwicha protein isolate (KPI), obtained from kiwicha defatted flour (KDF), was hydrolyzed by Bioprotease LA 660, a food-grade endoprotease, under specific conditions. The resulting kiwicha protein hydrolysates (KPHs) were chemically characterized and their digestibility and antioxidant capacity were evaluated by in vitro cell-free experiments owing to their measure of capacity to sequester DPPH free radical and reducing power. KPHs showed higher digestibility and antioxidant capacity than intact proteins into KPI. Therefore, the results shown in this study indicate that KPHs could serve as an adequate source of antioxidant peptides, representing an effective alternative to the generation of functional food.CYTED-2019 / 119RT0567 del Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidade