Optimization of the effect of hydrolysis conditions and type of protease on the degree of hydrolysis and antioxidant properties of the protein hydrolysate from the skipjack fish (Katsuwonus pelamis) viscera by the response surface methodology

Oxidation in living organs causes dangerous diseases, including cancer, and in food, it causes spoilage and heavy economic losses. Synthetic antioxidants have adverse and dangerous effects on human health, therefore identifying natural antioxidant compounds is one of the main needs of the food industry. In fish processing industries, about 50-70% of fish, which are potential sources of valuable nutritional compounds such as essential amino acids, are produced as waste. Therefore, finding a way to optimally use these wastes and produce healthy compounds with high added value such as bioactive peptides has great importance. In this research, the effect of hydrolysis conditions (time: 30-300 min and enzyme concentration 0.5-3 %) and type of protease (alcalase and pancreatin) on the degree of hydrolysis and antioxidant properties (DPPH radical scavenging activity, Fe chelating activity, nitric oxide radical inhibition, total antioxidant capacity and Fe reducing power) of protein hydrolysate from skipjack viscera was investigated using the response surface methodology. The results showed that the optimum conditions for achieving the most antioxidant properties with alcalase and pancreatin were: hydrolysis time of 146.9 and 171.67 minutes and enzyme concentration of 1.94 and 2.17%; in these conditions, the degree of hydrolysis of the produced protein hydrolysates was 25.12% and 20.35%, respectively. Comparing the antioxidant properties of hydrolysates produced by both proteases showed that the alcalase enzyme led to the production of protein hydrolysates with stronger antioxidant properties than pancreatin. Therefore, it can be concluded that the protein hydrolysate of the skipjack fish viscera using alcalase enzyme as a healthy and value-added product can be used in the production of functional products and health supplements.