Optimization of extrusion cooking to manufacture a meat analogue that contains protein hydrolysates

Abstract: Protein hydrolysates are compounds known to exert positive impact on human health, useful in managing negative health conditions. This study aimed at producing protein hydrolysates enzymatically from hemp and pea, using papain and chymotrypsin, and incorporate them into soybean-based meat analogues (MA). Subsequently, the hydrolysates, hemp papain (HP), hemp chymotrypsin (HC), pea papain (PP) and pea chymotrypsin (PC) were used at the ratio of 8, 16 and 24 (w/w) alongside soy protein concentrate (SPC) to develop MA. The extruded MA were tested for antioxidant, textural quality and in vitro bioactive properties. All the MA had DPPH and metal chelating (MC) activities higher than their individual hydrolysates. The MC activities reduced with increasing hydrolysate content. SPC+8%HC and SPC+8%PP had the highest activity (42.99%) and were not significantly different from each other. All hydrolysates had higher superoxide activities than their MA, with the PP having the highest activity (35.43%). While SPC+16%HP had the highest hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (52.64 %). There were no significant differences in the α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities of the pea hydrolysates and their respective MA, while hemp hydrolysates had higher activities than their MA. Renin inhibitory activity of the MA increased with increasing level of the hydrolysates. All the hydrolysates had very low ACE inhibitory activities when compared to their MA with SPC+8%HP having the highest inhibition (84.14%). All the MA had decrease in hardness as the hydrolysates content increased.