Response surface optimization of enzymatic hydrolysis and ROS scavenging activity of silk sericin hydrolysates

CONTEXT: Sericin, a protein found in wastewater from the silk industry, was shown to contain a variety of biological activities, including antioxidant. The enzymatic conditions have been continuously modified to improve antioxidant effect and scavenging capacity against various free radicals of silk sericin protein. OBJECTIVE: Variables in enzymatic reactions, including pH, temperature and enzyme/substrate ratio were analysed to discover the optimum conditions for antioxidant activity of sericin hydrolysates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hydrolysis reaction catalysed by Alcalase(®) was optimized through response surface methodology (RSM) in order to generate sericin hydrolysates possessing potency for % inhibition on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals, ferric-reducing power and peroxyl scavenging capacity. Flow cytometry was performed to evaluate cellular ROS level in human HaCaT keratinocytes and melanin-generating MNT1 cells pre-treated either with 20 mg/mL RSM-optimized sericin hydrolysates or 5 mM N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) for 60 min prior exposure with 1 mM hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). RESULTS: Among these three variables, response surface plots demonstrate the major role of temperature on scavenging capacity of sericin hydrolysates. Sericin hydrolysates prepared by using Alcalase(®) at RSM-optimized condition (enzyme/substrate ratio: 1.5, pH: 7.5, temperature: 70 °C) possessed % inhibition against H(2)O(2) at 99.11 ± 0.54% and 73.25 ± 8.32% in HaCaT and MNT1 cells, respectively, while pre-treatment with NAC indicated the % inhibition only at 30.26 ± 7.62% in HaCaT and 51.05 ± 7.14% in MNT1 cells. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The acquired RSM information would be of benefit for further developing antioxidant peptide from diverse resources, especially the recycling of waste products from silk industry.