Development of technology for producing protein hydrolysates from leguminous plants (peas) for sports nutrition

In line with emerging trends, the sports nutrition industry actively seeks cost-effective and health-promoting protein ingredients to replace animal-derived products and transition toward more sustainable practices. Protein concentrates derived from legumes, including peas, have attracted consumer interest due to their rich amino acid profiles and favourable functional properties. Our research aimed to develop and optimise an enzymatic technology for producing protein hydrolysates from locally adapted pea varieties in Kazakhstan. Based on the research findings, optimal technological conditions for protein extraction from peas via enzymatic methods were established: pea flour-to-water ratio (hydromodule) 25%; duration of water extraction 24 hours; concentration of added pepsin enzyme 4.0%; pepsin fermentation time 24 hours; concentration of added pancreatin enzyme 4.0%; pancreatin fermentation time - 5 hours. A pilot batch of enzymatically hydrolysed pea protein concentrate was produced under laboratory conditions, and analyses were performed on the resulting concentrate derived from the Aksary pea variety. The protein concentrate contained 8.92% crude protein and 5.38 ± 0.02 mg/mL amino nitrogen. Notably, due to the amino acid L-arginine at 0.540±0.216% and lysine at 0.587±0.199%, the hydrolysate can be utilised as a component of sports supplements to support muscle mass development. This work was conducted as part of the project "Development of a technology for producing protein-vitamin concentrates based on plant raw materials for sports nutrition" within the framework of the scientific-technical program BR22886613, titled "Development of Innovative technologies for the processing and storage of agricultural crop production and raw materials". The project is funded under the 267-budget program "Enhancing the accessibility of knowledge and scientific research", subprogram 101 "Program-targeted financing of scientific research and activities" of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2024–2026.