Preparation and antioxidant activity of enzymatic hydrolysates from purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus nudus) gonad

Purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus nudus) gonad was treated separately with neutral protease, papain, pepsin and trypsin. The resultant hydrolysates were fractionated using a series of ultrafiltration membranes (molecular weight cut-offs of 10, 5, 3 and 1 kDa). Five fractions were prepared from each hydrolysate and the corresponding molecular weight ranges were below 10 kDa, 5–10 kDa, 3–5 kDa, 1–3 kDa and below 1 kDa. The peptide fractions were evaluated for antioxidant activity by using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and reducing power assay. Results indicated that all peptide fractions possessed DPPH radical scavenging capacity and reducing power in a dose-dependent manner. For all four hydrolysates, the below 1 kDa fractions exhibited the highest DPPH radical scavenging capacity. The below 1 kDa fractions prepared with neutral protease, papain and pepsin, and the 1–3 kDa fraction prepared with trypsin showed the highest reducing capacity among corresponding hydrolysates.