Cost-Effective Amino Acid Production Through the Affordable Plant-Based Proteases Ficin and Actinidin

The present study explores the potential for the industrial-scale production of amino acids via ficin and actinidin using casein as the substrate. Following extraction and partial purification of these enzymes using ammonium sulfate precipitation, their properties were evaluated under various temperature and pH conditions. The optimal parameters for ficin and actinidin were found to be ۶۰ °C (pH ۸.۰) and ۵۵ °C (pH ۷.۰), respectively. Most of the metal ions tested had no significant effect on enzyme activity; however, high concentrations of Cu²⁺ caused a substantial reduction in proteolytic activity, with decreases of ۵۱.۷۳% for ficin and ۴۰% for actinidin. Furthermore, rising concentrations of surfactants led to a slight decline in enzyme activity. HPLC analysis following enzymatic incubation with the casein substrate revealed effective amino acid release through proteolytic activity, providing a sustainable alternative for industrial production. Throughout this process, asparagine and lysine, at concentrations of ۴۰۰.۳ and ۸۰.۱ µmol/L, respectively, were identified as the most prominent amino acids produced by ficin and actinidin.

کلیدواژه ها:

ficin ، actinidin ، amino acid production ، enzymatic hydrolysis