Use of Enzymatic Modification on Extruded Corn Gluten Meal for Enhancement of its Functional Properties, Digestive Properties, and in Vitro Digestion Product Physiological Activity

Abstract

Enzymatic modification is an effective mean of improving the functional, digestive properties, and in vitro digestion product physiological activity of proteins, thus significantly expanding their uses in various food applications. In this study, the addition of chymotrypsin (CT) were found to significantly improve the functional properties (solubility, foaming properties, etc.) and digestive properties of extruded corn gluten meal (ECGM). Similar changes were observed when treating ECGM with glutaminase (GL), protein glutaminase (PG), and papain (PA). These changes were due to effect caused by enzymatic deamidation. Furthermore, ECGM deamidated by CT showed the highest degree of deamidation, solubility, gastrointestinal digestibility at pH 11.0. Moreover, CT-ECGM digestion product exhibited strong antioxidant activity and potential to promote alcohol metabolism both in static digestion model and dynamic digestion model, even comparable to commercial corn peptides (CCP). Meanwhile, the physiological activity enhanced as molecular weight of digestion product decreased with digested component being strongest activity.

Keywords: enzymatic modification, extruded corn gluten meal, Functional properties, digestive properties, In vitro digestion