Novel green methods to hydrolyze plant proteins to high-value small peptides
Novel methods to hydrolyse plant protein to produce high-value small molecular weight peptides. A green method of plant protein hydrolysis that is efficient, cost effective and eliminates the use of hazardous chemicals.
Highlights
- Novel methods to hydrolyse plant protein to produce high-value small molecular weight peptides.
- A green method of plant protein hydrolysis that is efficient, cost effective and eliminates the use of hazardous chemicals.
Opportunity
Researchers from the University of Alberta have developed a novel method to hydrolyse plant protein to high-value small molecular weight peptides. The methods were developed using pea protein but will also be applicable to other pulse crops. These methods employ subcritical water hydrolysis combined with enzymatic activity provided by citrus pectin or citric acid and an electrolysis pretreatment. The method is capable of generating up to 65% degree of hydrolysis of the protein hydrolysates, with the resulting peptides being predominantly hydrophilic and a molecular weight of about 4.1 kDa. Subcritical water hydrolysis is a green technology capable to produce small peptides from plant protein concentrate, moreover, the specificity can be tailored to generate high DH, low antioxidant activity or low DH, high antioxidant activity hydrolysates by adding either citrus pectin or citric acid to the media for protein hydrolysis. Current methods use numerous buffer systems or acid and base mixtures that can generate environmentally harmful waste, toxic compounds (e.g., lysinoalanine). Subcritical water has been employed as a green technology and yields higher quality peptides. The resulting peptides from plant protein hydrolysis in subcritical water with citrus pectin added as a catalyst are useful as dietary protein that has high digestibility; a functional beverage product; bodybuilding supplements; peptide nutraceuticals: antioxidant peptides, antihypertensive peptides, anti-inflammatory peptides, antimicrobial peptides; and peptide surfactants.
Competitive advantage
- The method reduces the reliance on costly enzymatic inputs. Current methods primarily utilise enzymatic digestion, which at an industrial scale, requires large amounts of enzymes and use hazardous compounds in the process.
- Methods can be tailored to produce high value protein peptides with a desired molecular weight and antioxidant activity.
Status
- Patent Pending
About University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a large, comprehensive public research university in Edmonton with multiple campuses and a strong applied research culture. Industry engages through co-located labs and pilot-scale facilities, as well as established co-op and internship programs that place talent with partners year-round. Integration with Alberta’s province-wide hospital system supports clinical research and accelerates translation. Companies also benefit from proximity to regional industry clusters and collaboration hubs on and near campus for joint R&D and prototyping. Supported by NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC, and Canada Foundation for Innovation funding—plus provincial and industry support—the tech transfer office manages IP, licensing, and startup formation with streamlined sponsored-research agreements.
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