Optimisation of bovine β-lactoglobulin hydrolysis using cardosins from dried flowers of Cynara cardunculus

Abstract

Bovine whey protein was hydrolysed using cardosins A and B purified from dried flowers of Cynara cardunculus by combining diafiltration, anion-exchange chromatography and ultrafiltration. The proteolysis experiments were performed using different whey protein concentrations and enzyme/substrate (E/S) ratios. Complete hydrolysis of the main whey proteins, β-Lactoglobulin (β-Lg) and α-lactalbumin (α-La), was achieved after 4 h, at E/S ratios of 1/150 U/mg, regardless the initial protein concentration. In previous reports, the authors suggested that cardosins could not hydrolyse β-lactoblogulin. However, our promising results open up new possibilities to further explore the action of cardosins on whey proteins for the production of bioactive peptides.