An experimental study of caseinomacropeptide hydrolysis by trypsin in a continuous membrane reactor

Caseinomacropeptide (CMP) is the product of milk K-casein hydrolysis by chy mosin. This macropeptide with a molecular weight of about 7000 g mol(-1) co ntains several sequences of amino acids which show promising nutritional or biological properties. We have previously reported the production of such sequences peptides) from CMP by trypsin as well as the reaction mechanism i nvolved. In this study, we have focused on the study of the hydrolytic reac tion and on the retention by the membrane of the peptides generated by the reaction, both in a batch system and in a continuous stirred reactor. Facto rs influencing the operation of the membrane reactor such as the substrate concentration, ionic strength, transmembrane pressure are studied and discu ssed. Conclusions on the design of a membrane reactor are then drawn. (c) 2 001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.