Davisco Foods International, Inc. produces the world’s purest whey proteins. New technical advancements, developed by Davisco, make it possible to precisely specify biological and functional attributes. This new generation of hydrolyzed whey proteins enhances our line of standard whey protein products to meet specific customer needs.
BioZate is a new generation of hydrolyzed whey proteins. BioZate is a line of hydrolyzed whey proteins containing smaller peptides for ease of digestion and absorption. Hydrolyzed whey protein is whey protein that has been broken down into smaller pieces, similar to our body’s digestive system, to produce peptides. These whey peptides have unique functional and nutritional (bioactive) properties.
BioZate 1 is a Bioactive Peptide System™. It is a highly purified, bioavailable, hydrolyzed whey protein that contains specific natural bioactive whey protein peptides produced through a highly controlled process. BioZate 1 also contributes protein to the diet, which may increase the body’s metabolic rate and nutrient balance. A higher protein diet may contribute to body fat losses*.
BioZate 3 is a highly purified, hydrolyzed whey protein that contains a unique molecular weight profile. The addition of BioZate 3 to protein bars results in softer textured bars over time under different storage conditions (Figure 1).
Descriptive Features of an Enzymatic Hydrolyzate
Enzymatic hydrolysis is a process based on the use of proteases for the modification (breakdown) of proteins. Two major features typically describe an enzymatic hydrolyzate:
Degree of Hydrolysis
The degree of hydrolysis is the extent to which peptide bonds are broken by the enzymatic hydrolysis reaction. This value can be very misleading. A fifty percent DH measurement may not mean that fifty percent of the protein is hydrolyzed. Rather, it may mean that a particular enzymehas hydrolyzed fifty percent of the available bonds for that specific enzyme. The measurement shows the number of specific peptide bonds broken in hydrolysis as a percent of the total number of specific peptide bonds present in the intact protein.
Amino Nitrogen/Total Nitrogen (AN/TN Ratio)
The AN/TN ratios are routinely referred to in the pharmaceutical industry and are used as indicators in characterization of enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins.
The total nitrogen (TN) of a protein can be determined by standard procedures such as the Kjeldahl or Leco method. The amino nitrogen (AN) can be determined by the Formol titration method. Formol titration measures the amino groups in a protein or a protein hydrolysate. Upon enzymatic hydrolysis of the peptide bonds in a protein, new amino groups are released - one amino group for each peptide bond broken. The number of newly formed amino groups causes a linear increase in the amino nitrogen (AN) as determined by the Formal titration method. Dividing the AN by TN and multiplying by 100 gives the actual AN/TN ratio.
Non-hydrolyzed protein will contain some exposed amino groups. Therefore, it should be understood that the AN/TN ratio of the proteins is greater than zero percent. An increase in the AN/TN ratio over that of the original non-hydrolyzed protein provides an estimate of the degree of hydrolysis. It should be noted that the amino nitrogen (AN) determined by the Formol titration method does not represent the free amino acids present in the hydrolysate. It merely estimates the concentration of free amino groups of peptides and proteins.
Molecular Weight (MW)
Although some people refer to "average molecular weight" of hydrolyzed proteins, such a description does not properly characterize the hydrolyzed proteins. Since the functional and nutritional properties of the protein hydrolysates are affected by the peptides of different sizes, it is important to understand the molecular weight distribution (MWD) profile. The molecular weight distribution profile is commonly measured using Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC), which is a method based on the separation of components under a combination of specific conditions such as the column, detector and mobile phases. . This method separates peptides in a HPLC column according to their molecular weight. It is important to minimize the interaction of peptides with each other and with the column surface in this method. The kind of reagents, column and standards used to accomplish this testing will affect the results obtained. It must be emphasized that MWD profiles of different hydrolysates must always be measured under one set of conditions; results obtained from different methods cannot be compared directly. Solubility of peptides in the buffer solutions used in the analysis has a significant impact on the MW profile obtained. MW profiles given on specification sheets and brochures are intended to characterize hydrolysates and compare them with each other, and do not represent absolute molecular weights. Display graph: Molecular weight distribution for BioZate 1 and BioZate 3
Structure of Protein
Proteins are long chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. During hydrolysis these peptide bonds are broken. Depending upon the type of enzyme used and processing conditions, smaller chains of amino acids and different amino acid sequences are produced by the process. These hydrolyzed protein chains determine the nutritional and functional characteristics of hydrolyzed whey proteins.
