Influence of enzymatic hydrolysis conditions on the degree of hydrolysis of protein hydrolysate obtained from cocoa pod husk (Theobroma cacao L.)

Abstract In recent years, there has been a remarkable shift of interest towards plant-based protein sources for future functional foods. Concerning food insecurity and nutrient deficiencies due to the rise of the global population, underutilized agricultural waste is highly emphasized as a potential new source of protein. In this study, protein hydrolysate was prepared from the pod husk of three different cocoa clones ( Theobroma cacao L.). The effects of various conditions on the degree of hydrolysis (DH) by using few types of enzymes were evaluated with enzyme-substrate ratio and pH being constant. The DH of 64% to 72% was attained under the optimum conditions including enzyme concentration of 6% in an incubation period of 24 hours. The yield of protein hydrolysate was found to be much higher using alkalase enzyme but the production rate of protein hydrolysate was much faster when using trypsin enzyme than others. Among all clones, the PBC 159 clone is the best cocoa clone expressing the highest protein hydrolysate with possible antioxidant and antimicrobial activities in future studies