Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Broken Rice Protein: Antioxidant Activities by Chemical and Cellular Antioxidant Methods

Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) is an important cause of aging, and supplementing antioxidants through diet is one of the important ways to delay aging. Some studies have confirmed that rice protease hydrolysate has antioxidant activity, but was rarely been investigated on cells. Thus, commercial enzymes, alkaline enzyme, neutral enzyme, pepsin, chymotrypsin, and trypsin were selected to hydrolyze broken rice protein (BRP) to obtain the corresponding hydrolysates, which were A-broken rice protein hydrolysate (BRPH), N-BRPH, P-BRPH, C-BRPH, and T-BRPH, respectively. Then the antioxidant properties of BRPHs were evaluated by different chemical and cellular antioxidation. Molecular weight, peptide length distribution, and amino acid sequence were detected to insight into the antioxidant properties. Among BRPHs, the A-BRPH displayed the strongest hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 1.159 mg/ml) and metal ion-chelating activities (IC50 = 0.391 mg/ml). Furthermore, cellular antioxidation confirmed that A-BRPH significantly increased cell viability and inhibited the intracellular ROS release in both aging cells and cell-aging processes. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) results revealed that peptides with molecular weight <14.5 KDa were produced by enzymatic hydrolysis. Additionally, A-BRPH rich in low molecular weight (<3 kDa) and short-length peptides with some specific amino acids, such as aromatic and hydrophobic amino acids, contributes to the antioxidant properties. This study provided theoretical to the utilization of broken rice and confirmed that A-BRPH could be used in new anti-aging food and health products for human consumption.

Compositional and Functional Considerations for Bovine-, Caprine- and Plant-Based Infant Formulas

Breastmilk is the optimal source of nutrition for infants. However, in circumstances where breastfeeding is not possible or feasible, infant formula provides an essential alternative to fulfil the nutritional requirements of the developing infant. Traditionally, the manufacture of infant formula has involved utilisation of bovine milk as a base ingredient, formulated with other nutrients and bioactive ingredients to closely match the composition of human breastmilk. While it is the most widely available type of formula on the market, bovine-based infant formula is not suitable for all infants, and therefore alternatives such as those based on caprine milk, soy and rice protein are becoming increasingly available. This review provides a detailed examination of the composition of infant formula prepared from bovine milk, caprine milk, soy, and rice protein sources. Available literature on nutrient bio-accessibility and aspects of protein functionality relevant to infant formula is discussed.