Abstract
Enzymatic hydrolysis of migratory locust (Locusta migratoria L.) protein flour (MLPF) was investigated as a method to improve the techno-functional properties. Experiments were conducted under variation of the applied proteases (Alcalase, Neutrase, Flavourzyme, Papain) or combinations thereof, enzyme–substrate ratio (0.05–1.0% w/w), heat pre-treatment (60–80 °C; 15–60 min), and hydrolysis time (0–24 h). Protein degradation was monitored in terms of degree of hydrolysis (DH) and SDS-PAGE. Solubility, emulsifying, foaming and water/oil binding properties of the hydrolysates were determined. In comparison to the control (DH = 5%), hydrolysis resulted in considerably higher DH values up to 42%. SDS-PAGE profiles revealed a steady decrease of bands between 25 and 75 kDa and an increase of low molecular weight bands (10–15 kDa). However, different heat pre-treatments resulted in impaired hydrolytic cleavage as evidenced by lower DH values. Protein solubility of MLPF hydrolysates was improved over a broad pH range from initially 10–22% up to 55% at alkaline conditions. Furthermore, hydrolysis resulted in enhanced emulsifying activity (54%) at pH 7, improved foamability (326%) at pH 3 and advanced oil binding capacity. The results of this study have clearly demonstrated the potential of targeted enzymatic degradation to improve the techno-functionality of migratory locust protein in order to produce tailored insect-based ingredients for the use in food applications.
Highlights
Compositional analyses of several edible insect species and their different metamorphic stages reveal promising nutritional quality in terms of protein and fat content, valuable amino acid and fatty acid profiles and noteworthy concentrations of certain micronutrients [1,2,3,4,5]
The higher amount of crude protein in migratory locust protein flour (MLPF) can be ascribed to the partial removal of fat during flour production resulting in a considerable lower crude fat content
The unhydrolysed MLPF showed a degree of hydrolysis (DH) of 5.1%, reflecting a certain degree of denaturation or hydrolysis which might be ascribed to the processing procedure of MLPF
Summary
Compositional analyses of several edible insect species and their different metamorphic stages reveal promising nutritional quality in terms of protein and fat content, valuable amino acid and fatty acid profiles and noteworthy concentrations of certain micronutrients [1,2,3,4,5]. The consumption of insects— referred to as entomophagy—is originated in Asia, Africa, Central and South-America, where they are mainly handpicked in nature and consumed in whole or low processed form using culinary preparation techniques [12, 13]. This traditional praxis is not likely to be adapted by western markets due to the highly industrialised food and feed industry and consumer habits [14,15,16]. The development of industrial-scale mass rearing systems and efficient processes for the recovery of functional insectderived fractions such as protein, fat or chitin will be a
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