Enzymatic preparation and antioxidant activities of protein hydrolysates from hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seeds

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seeds have recently been attracting attention as a new high-value-added food material owing to their excellent nutritional properties, and research on the development of functional food materials using hemp seeds is actively progressing. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant properties of hemp seed protein hydrolysates. Protein hydrolysates were prepared from defatted hemp seed powder (HS) by enzymatic hydrolysis using five different proteases (alcalase, bromelain, flavourzyme, neutrase, and papain). 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) assay and SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that HS showed a high degree of hydrolysis after treatment with each enzyme except papain. The total polyphenol content of the protein hydrolysates (<3 kDa) and the RC50 values obtained from two different antioxidant tests showed that alcalase hydrolysate (HSA) had a relatively high level of antioxidant capacity. In addition, treatment with HSA (25-100 μg/mL) significantly inhibited linoleic acid peroxidation. These results suggest that hemp seed protein hydrolysates are potential sources of natural antioxidants. Future studies will focus on the identification of active peptides from HSA.