Isolation and identification of two novel umami and umami-enhancing peptides from peanut hydrolysate by consecutive chromatography and MALDI-TOF/TOF MS

Peanut hydrolysate produced by crude protease extract from Aspergillus oryzae HN 3.042 was found to elicit intense umami and umami-enhancing effect. Taste profiles, amino acid and organic acid composition of peanut hydrolysate and its separation fractions by ultrafiltration were evaluated. The results revealed that peanut hydrolysate was mainly low molecular weight compounds. Fractions of 1–3 kDa and below 1 kDa prominently contributed to the umami taste and umami-enhancing effect of the peanut hydrolysate. The two fractions were further purified, using gel filtration chromatography and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), in combination with sensory evaluation, to obtain a umami peptide and umami-enhancing peptide. The active peptides were identified as Ser-Ser-Arg-Asn-Glu-Gln-Ser-Arg (SSRNEQSR, 963.9 Da) and Glu-Gly-Ser-Glu-Ala-Pro-Asp-Gly-Ser-Ser-Arg (EGSEAPDGSSR, 1091.1 Da), by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS, respectively.