Reducing Allergenicity by Biocatalytic Conversion of Whey Protein Using Aspergillus oryx season

Introduction. More than 170 foods can cause allergic reactions in humans. The list of potential allergens includes a lot of dairy products. To reduce the antigenic properties, dairy raw materials can be subjected to thermal treatment. However, prolonged heating reduces the nutritional value, solubility, and digestibility of the final product. Biocatalytic conversion is considered a more effective way to reduce the allergenicity of milk proteins and dairy products. Study objects and methods. The research featured the bioconversion process of milk whey using an enzyme complex of fungal protease and exo-peptidase produced by Aspergillus oryx season. The research provided an optimal concentration of the enzyme preparation, as well as temperature parameters, reaction time, and the effect of pH on the intensity of the process. The experiment involved standard research methods. The mass fraction of free amino acids was determined by distribution chromatography after protein hydrolysis. Results and discussion. The research helped to define the effect of enzymatic treatment time and the pH on the hydrolysis of serum proteins after bioconversion. The indicator of the degree of hydrolysis and its time was affected by the concentration of the introduced enzyme preparation. The maximum degree of hydrolysis was observed at pH = 4.0 ± 0.1 with an enzyme-substrate ratio of 1:700. The degree of hydrolysis in samples with an enzyme-substrate ratio of 1:1,000 and 1:700 was almost the same. Therefore, the enzymesubstrate ratio of 1:1,000 proved more effective. The concentration of many important amino acids increased, which indicated the hydrolytic cleavage of the protein. The research made it possible to determine the most effective parameters of the process of biocatalytic conversion of whey enzyme by the protease complex Aspergillus oryx season: the ratio of enzyme-substrate – 1:1,000, time – 60–90 min, pH – 4.0 ± 0.1, temperature – 35–45°C. Conclusion. The whey samples subjected to biocatalytic conversion by an enzyme complex of the genus Aspergillus oryx season showed the presence of low-molecular peptides in its composition, which indicated the effectiveness of the process and reducing the allergenicity of the whey protein.