Proteolytic Activity of a Bacillus subtilis Neutral Protease Preparation upon Caseins and Whey Proteins of Cow's Milk

The proteolytic activity of an industrial preparation of neutral protease from Bacillus subtilis has been tested on caseins and whey proteins of cow's milk. Electrophoretic analysis of κ -casein hydrolysate showed that only electropositive products can be found. Hydrolysis of β -casein generated compounds with low electrophoretic mobility as did hydrolysis of γ-casein. β -Lactoglobulin and immunoglobulins were heavily damaged, whereas α -lactalbumin was slightly hydrolyzed. Because of its wide spectrum of activity and interesting thermophilic properties, this enzymatic preparation can be applied to other fields in the food industry.