OPTIMIZING FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF BAMBARA BEAN PROTEIN CONCENTRATE BY ENZYMATIC HYDROLYSIS USING PANCREATIN

Enzymatic hydrolysis of Bambara bean protein concentrate was investigated with the view to produce hydrolysates with desirable functional properties. A Box-Behnken design was used for experiments and models capable of predicting functional properties depending on hydrolysis conditions were developed. These models were then used to determine optimum hydrolysis conditions. It was found that hydrolysis parameters had significant influence on the functional properties. Nitrogen solubility and oil-holding capacity of Bambara bean protein hydrolysates were improved, while a slight increase in foaming capacity and decrease in emulsifying activity were observed. The optimum hydrolysis conditions were: time 97.5 min, solid-to-liquid ratio 6/75 (w/v) and enzyme substrate ratio 1.90% (w/w). The properties obtained were: nitrogen solubility at pH 7 of >= 75%, nitrogen solubility at pH 4.5 of >= 33% and oil-absorption capacity of >= 4.1 g/g. Finally, it was shown by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis that protein breakdown was selective.