Improved in vitro digestibility of rapeseed napin proteins in mixtures with bovine beta-lactoglobulin

This study investigated the in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) of protein mixtures between a napin-rich rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) protein concentrate (RP2) and bovine milk whey proteins (WPs; α-LA, alpha-lactalbumin; β-LG, beta-lactoglobulin) at mixing ratios of 20:80, 40:60, 60:40, and 80:20 w/w. Enzymatic hydrolysis consisted of pepsin digestion (1 h) followed by short- (+1 h), medium- (+3 h), or long-term (+24 h) pancreatin digestion. IVPD was differentially affected by the WPs type, mixing ratios, and total hydrolysis times. RP2/β-LG protein mixtures showed a partially synergistic effect at mixing ratios of 40:60 and 60:40 w/w, leading to an increased short-term IVPD of 7–10%. LC–MS analysis revealed a markedly improved short-term digestibility of the napin proteins when combined with bovine β-LG. This study demonstrated that specific mixtures between animal and plant protein sources exhibit an improved digestibility due to synergistic protein-protein interactions.Graphical abstract
Source: Food Research International - Category: Food Science Source Type: research