Evaluation of the in vitro antioxidant properties of a cod (Gadus morhua) protein hydrolysate and peptide fractions

Mechanically-deboned cod muscle proteins were sequentially hydrolysed using pepsin and a trypsin + chymotrypsin combination, which was followed by passing the digest through a 1 kDa equipped tangential flow filtration system; the permeate (<1 kDa peptides) was collected as the cod protein hydrolysate (CPH). Reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was used to separate the CPH into four peptide fractions (CF1-CF4) and their in vitro antioxidant properties investigated. Results showed that most of the peptide fractions (CF2-CF4) displayed significantly higher (p < 0.05) oxygen radical absorbance capacity values (698-942 μM Trolox equivalents, TE/g) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging activities (17-32%) than those of CPH (613 μM TE/g and 19%, respectively). However, the unfractionated CPH displayed improved capability to scavenge superoxide and hydroxyl radicals as well as significantly higher (p < 0.05) ferric iron reduction and chelation of iron than the RP-HPLC peptides. The CPH and peptide fractions displayed a dose-dependent inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation.