PREPARATION OF MICROCAPSULATED ENZYMES FOR LOWERING THE ALLERGENIC ACTIVITY OF FOODS

Alcalase from Bacillus licheniformis was microcapsulated by the spray- dry method for degradation of ovalbumin(OVA) in the small intestine. C apsules were prepared with yield of about 65% and a mean particle diam eter of 10-20 mu m. The microcapsulated alcalase was very resistant to digestion in the gastric environment (pH 1.2), and the efficiency of release was about 100% within 10 min in intestinal fluids (pH 6.8). Mo reover, when microcapsules were incubated with a solution of OVA, >99% of OVA was hydrolyzed within 120 min. In addition, microcapsules of p rotease YP-SS from Aspergillus niger were also prepared for degradatio n of OVA in the stomach. Almost all protease YP-SS activity was releas ed from capsules within only 10 min in gastric fluids. Oral administra tion of the microcapsulated enzyme to Sprague-Dawley rats resulted in a significant decrease in the serum level of OVA-specific IgE.