ABSTRACT This study aimed to develop and characterize a bioreactor for the continuous production of bioactive peptides from whey proteins. For this purpose, a packed bed reactor (PBR) containing Alcalase immobilized on the glyoxyl‐corn‐cob‐powder support (AGCCP–PBR) was used to hydrolyze whey proteins at 50°C and pH 9.0. The hydrodynamic behavior of the reactor was characterized using phenol red as a tracer, revealing moderate axial dispersion with minimal preferential flow paths. The AGCCP–PBR proved highly effective for the bioconversion process, achieving a high degree of hydrolysis (63.9%) and high operational stability (kd = 0.032 h −1 ; half‐life = 246 h). The process yielded predominantly low‐molecular‐weight peptides (< 2600 m/z) with high ABTS radical scavenging activity (65.27% reduction). These results demonstrate the considerable potential of the system for applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries, where antioxidant compounds play a key role in oxidation control and product stability. Furthermore, the AGCCP–PBR represents an efficient and sustainable strategy for converting by‐products from the dairy industry into functional ingredients, thereby adding value to cheese whey and contributing to waste valorization.
Cruz et al. (Sun,) studied this question.