Antibody binding and functional properties of whey protein hydrolysates obtained under high pressure

This paper examines the potential of high hydrostatic pressure to produce whey protein hydrolysates that combine low immunoglobulin (Ig)G- and IgE-binding with acceptable functional properties, with the aim to produce milk-based ingredients with reduced potential allergenicity that could be used in hypoallergenic foods. Treatment with pepsin and chymotrypsin under high pressure produced, in minutes, hydrolysates in which α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin were totally proteolysed, giving rise to large and hydrophobic peptides. Such hydrolysates presented reduced antigenicity and human IgE-binding properties. The hydrolysates obtained with pepsin at 400 MPa showed improved heat stability, particularly at a pH, close to the isoelectric point of the whey proteins, and their emulsion activity indexes at pH 7.0 were superior to those of the untreated whey proteins. These results suggest that the peptides present retained low antigenicity together with sufficient capacity to form emulsions.