Antibacterial peptides derived from caprine whey proteins, by digestion with human gastrointestinal juice.

Peptides in caprine whey were identified after in vitro digestion with human gastrointestinal enzymes in order to determine their antibacterial effect. The digestion was performed in two continuing steps using human gastric juice (pH 2·5) and human duodenal juice (pH 8) at 37°C. After digestion the hydrolysate was fractionated and 106 peptides were identified. From these results, twenty-two peptides, located in the protein molecules, were synthesised and antibacterial activity examined. Strong activity of the hydrolysates was detected against Escherichia coli K12, Bacillus cereus RT INF01 and Listeria monocytogenes, less activity against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25 923 and no effect on Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. The pure peptides showed less antibacterial effect than the hydrolysates. When comparing the peptide sequences from human gastrointestinal enzymes with previously identified peptides from non-human enzymes, only two peptides, ß-lactoglobulin f(92-100) and ß-casein f(191-205) matched. No peptides corresponded to the antibacterial caprine lactoferricin f(14-42) or lactoferrampin C f(268-284). Human gastrointestinal enzymes seem to be more complex and have different cleavage points in their protein chains compared with purified non-human enzymes. Multiple sequence alignment of nineteen peptides showed proline-rich sequences, neighbouring leucines, resulting in a consensus sequence LTPVPELK. In such a way proline and leucine may restrict further proteolytic processing. The present study showed that human gastrointestinal enzymes generated different peptides from caprine whey compared with non-human enzymes and a stronger antibacterial effect of the hydrolysates than the pure peptides was shown. Antimicrobial activity against pathogens but not against probiotics indicate a possible host-protective activity of whey.

In vitro studies of the digestion of caprine whey proteins by human gastric and duodenal juice and the effects on selected microorganisms.

The in vitro digestion of caprine whey proteins was investigated by a two-step degradation assay, using human gastric juice (HGJ) at pH 2.5 and human duodenal juice (HDJ) at pH 7.5. Different protein and peptide profiles were observed after the first (HGJ) and second (HDJ) enzymatic degradation. The minor whey proteins serum albumin, lactoferrin and Ig were rapidly degraded by HGJ, while alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-LA) and beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG) were more resistant and survived both 30 and 45 min of the enzymatic treatment. Further digestion with HDJ still showed intact beta-LG, and the main part of alpha-LA also remained unchanged. The protein degradation by HGJ and HDJ was also compared with treatment by commercial enzymes, by using pepsin at pH 2.5, and a mixture of trypsin and chymotrypsin at pH 7.5. The two methods resulted in different caprine protein and peptide profiles. The digests after treatment with HGJ and HDJ were screened for antibacterial effects on some selected microorganisms, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Streptococcus mutans. Active growing cells of E. coli were inhibited by the digestion products from caprine whey obtained after treatment with HGJ and HDJ. Cells of B. cereus were inhibited only by whey proteins obtained after reaction with HGJ, while the products after further degradation with HDJ demonstrated no significant effect. Screenings performed on cells of Lb. rhamnosus GG and S. mutans all showed no signs of inhibition.