Effects of cationic property on the in vitro antioxidant activities of pea protein hydrolysate fractions

Yellow pea seed protein-derived peptides were produced through enzymatic hydrolysis of pea protein isolate, which was followed by ultrafiltration to isolate peptides with < 3 kDa sizes (PPH). The PPH was separated by cation-exchange chromatography into five peptide fractions (F1–F5) based on their affinity for the stationary phase. F1 contained peptides with the least amount (7.5%) of cationic amino acids while F5 contained peptides with more than 50% content of cationic amino acids. F1–F5 peptide fractions were evaluated for in vitro antioxidant activities in comparison to glutathione (GSH), an endogenous antioxidant peptide. Results showed that the peptide fraction with the least cationic property (F1) had significantly strongest (p < 0.05) scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) when compared to F2–F5. Generally, the scavenging of O2˙− and H2O2 was negatively related with the cationic property of the peptide fractions. Fractionation according to cationic property resulted in significantly increased (p < 0.05) O2˙− scavenging power of the peptide fractions (F1–F5) when compared to the unfractionated PPH. The peptide fractions showed weak or nil ferric reducing power and, regardless of cationic property, were significantly (p < 0.05) more effective at inhibiting lipid oxidation than GSH over a 7-day period. In contrast, with the exception of H2O2 scavenging, GSH was a more effective antioxidant than PPH and the peptide fractions. We concluded that the PPH and some of its fractions have the potential to be used as therapeutic agents against chronic diseases that develop from oxidative damage, and that the cationic property of amino acids contributed negatively to the antioxidant activity of the peptide fractions.