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Bioactive peptides derived from quinoa protein: fabrication, antioxidant activities, and in vitro digestion profiles

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Abstract

Quinoa protein is increasingly being used a source of plant protein in the food industry because of its high nutrient value, good digestibility, and gluten-free nature. However, its widespread application in the food industry is currently restricted due to its poor water solubility and limited functionality. Controlled enzymatic hydrolysis can improve the functional attributes of plant proteins. Consequently, the objective of this study was to produce bioactive peptides from quinoa protein by enzymatic hydrolysis. The suitability of five commercial proteases were assessed for this purpose: alcalase, compound protease, neutral protease, flavourzyme, and papain. The antioxidant activity and digestion properties of the peptides produced were analyzed. Alcalase was the most efficient enzyme for treating quinoa protein, as it produced the highest degree of hydrolysis, nitrogen recovery rate, and antioxidant activity. Amino acid analysis indicated that quinoa peptides contained all the essential amino acids required for human nutrition, as well as a high level of hydrophobic amino acids, which may provide strong antioxidant activity. In vitro digestion analysis showed that the quinoa peptides exhibited strong resistance to hydrolysis in the stomach but were hydrolyzed in the small intestine. After simulated gastrointestinal digestion, the peptides still exhibited high antioxidant activity. This study therefore suggests that bioactive peptides derived from quinoa protein could be utilized as bioactive ingredients to formulate functional foods.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFD2101004).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, School of Food Science and Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China

    Luping Gu, Zixiao Tang, Junhua Li, Cuihua Chang, Yujie Su & Yanjun Yang

  2. School of Agriculture and Forestry Technology, Weifang Engineering Vocational College, Weifang, 262500, China

    Ning Peng

  3. Henan Huatai Cereals and Oils Machinery Co., Ltd, Anyang, 455000, China

    Shan Chen

  4. Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA

    David Julian McClements

  5. Hunan Engineering & Technology Research Center for Food Flavors and Flavorings, Jinshi, 415400, China

    Yujie Su & Yanjun Yang

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  1. Luping Gu
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Correspondence to Yujie Su or Yanjun Yang.

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Gu, L., Peng, N., Chen, S. et al. Bioactive peptides derived from quinoa protein: fabrication, antioxidant activities, and in vitro digestion profiles. Food Measure 18, 894–903 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-023-02212-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-023-02212-z

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