Effect of hydrolysis degree with Alcalase on antioxidant and antigenic properties of whey and colostrum protein hydrolysates

Enzymatic hydrolysis of dairy proteins is aimed to increase their nutritional value and reduce their allergenic properties. It is relevant to study the effects of enzymatic hydrolysis with highly active endopeptidase alсalase on the bioactivity of the whey and colostrum protein components. Dairy hydrolysates with various degree of Alcalase treatment were obtained in the present study. A comparative analysis of cleaved dairy proteins and their peptide fractions with a 5 and 10 kDa cutoff was performed. The protein and peptide composition of hydrolysates was determined using various techniques. The bioactivity of hydrolyzed whey and colostrum samples were estimated. The antioxidant activity of hydrolyzed and fractionated (5 kDa cutoff) whey samples increased by 5.91/6.62-fold and that of colostrum by 14.22/7.24-fold in fluorimetric/spectrophotometric assay, respectively. A significant decrease in the antigenic potential of milk peptides was observed with increasing degree of hydrolysis and subsequent ultrafiltration. Thus, bioactive dairy protein hydrolysates were obtained, which are applicable as a component of specialized foods with proven hypoallergenic properties and high antioxidant activity. [Display omitted] •Treatment of bovine whey and colostrum proteins with bacterial endopeptidase Alcalase and following ultrafiltration (5 and 10 kDa cutoff) provide bioactive hypoallergenic hydrolysates.•Increasing the degree of Alсalase hydrolysis of dairy proteins combined with peptide fractionation resulted in a significant enhancement of their antioxidant activity and lower residual antigenicity.•Hydrolyzed whey and colostrum proteins with proven bioactive properties are potential ingredients in speciality foods.