Characterization and Application of a Novel Elastase from Streptomyces sp. P-3

Streptomyces sp. P-3 produces a novel streptomycetes elastase (SEL), which is a new member of the S1 serine protease family. First, we examined the production conditions of SEL with various parameters. Maximum enzyme production was achieved when the strain was grown in a medium containing defatted soybean meal and yeast extract at 28 °C for 44 h. Subsequently, the substrate specificities of SEL were compared to those of papain and subtilisin Carlsberg, which are commercially available enzymes for meat tenderization. The substrate specificity of SEL toward elastin was more than 12-fold higher than that of the other two enzymes. Furthermore, through the analysis of the degradation of myofibrils and elastin from beef, SEL demonstrated low activity toward myofibrils and high activity toward elastin. Physical property evaluation indicated that the SEL-treated connective tissue underwent a higher tenderization effect than tissues treated with alternative enzymes. These characteristics suggest that SEL has potential applications for improving meat tenderness without causing over tenderization.