Antioxidative gelatin hydrolysate from unicorn leatherjacket skin as affected by prior autolysis

Abstract Gelatin hydrolysates from autolysed non-swollen and swollen unicorn leatherjacket skin prepared using partially purified glycyl endopeptidase (GE) from papaya latex were examined for their antioxidative activities. Autolysed swollen skin was more hydrolysed by GE as indicated by higher a-amino group content, compared with autolysed non-swollen skin. ABTS radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of hydrolysates were increased with increasing levels of GE used. Antioxidative gelatin hydrolysate from autolysed skin, both non-swollen and swollen skins, using 8 % GE termed ‘NS-8GE’ and ‘SS-8GE’ exhibited different modes of action. When both hydrolysates were tested in lecithin liposome system, the efficiency in retardation of lipid oxidation was in a dose-dependent manner. Antioxidative activity of hydrolysates at 5.0 g/L was comparable to that of 0.1 g/L Trolox, in which the oxidation was almost completely inhibited. NS-8GE and SS-8GE also showed their antioxidative activities in gastrointestinal tract model system (GIMs). ABTS radical scavenging activity of both hydrolysates increased, but FRAP decreased in a duodenal condition. Based on size exclusion chromatography, major antioxidative peptides in NS-8GE and SS-8GE had molecular weight of 1,170 and 750 Da, respectively. Therefore, GE could enhance antioxidative activity of autolysed skin. Additionally, swelling process directly determined the modes of actions of resulting gelatin hydrolysates. NS-8GE had high ABTS radical scavenging activity, whereas SS-8GE showed high FRAP.