FOOD PROTEIN NUTRIENT IMPROVEMENT BY PROTEASE AT REDUCED WATER ACTIVITY

Protein resynthesis catalyzed by alpha-chymotrypsin was studied to mod ify the nutritive quality and physical properties of albumin. The incr ease in substrate concentration produced an increase in enzyme synthet ic action. At low substrate concentration, several water activity depr essing additives (salts or polyols) in the reaction media enhanced pla stein synthesis. Polyols enhanced the synthetic reaction proportionall y to an increase in their molecular size. The positive effect of alkal i halides was related to an increase in cation size and decrease in an ion size. All plastein products showed a clear increase in nutritional value with respect to the substrate.