Abstract

Pepsin and alpha-chymotrypsin (ACT) are two common proteolytic enzymes responsible for the quality degradation in seafood postmortem. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a new non-thermal technology for maintaining and improving food quality. The conformation and structural behavior of pepsin and ACT induced by potentially denaturing CAP were investigated through various spectrofluorometric assays. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra indicated that the secondary structure of pepsin and ACT were significantly changed (p < 0.05), and spectrofluorometric assays on surface hydrophobicity, fluorescence emission, and fluorescence quenching constants indicated remarkable but varied tertiary structure alterations after treatment. The activities of pepsin and ACT decreased by 95.2% and 92.1% after CAP treatment. Phase diagram plots indicated that structural and conformational dynamics of pepsin and ACT were all-or-none processes leading to inactivation, and strongly indicated protein unfolding upon CAP treatment.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.