• Evaluation of Macrobrachium nipponense hydrolysate as a food protein-derived iron carrier
  • Rezvan Mousavi-Nadushan,1,* Kamran Pooshang Bagher,2 Naghmeh Roohi-Shalmaee,3 roozbeh hellat,4
    1. Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Tehran North Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
    2. Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Lab., Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran. Tehran, Iran.
    3. Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Lab, Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran. Tehran, Iran.
    4. Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Tehran North Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.


  • Introduction: Iron is one of the essential trace elements for human body responsible for hemoglobin and myoglobin synthesis, oxygen and electron transport also responsible for iron deficiency anemia in modern urban lifestyle. Iron deficiency is more frequent in the absence of anemia and may result in many health difficulties. However, Iron contributes in various biochemical reactions like energy metabolism and DNA synthesis. It is also existent in the form of ferritin and hemosiderin as an additional iron in hepatocytes and reticuloendothelial macrophages, besides it is a structural component of enzymes such as cytochromes, peroxidases, catalases, xanthine oxidase and some mitochondrial enzymes. Oral consumption of inorganic ferrous-iron supplements are effective to alleviate the iron deficiency; but, oral ingestion has been limited by substantial gastrointestinal side effects and low absorption. In recent times, bioactive food-based Peptide/protein-Fe2+, with greater bioactivity and nutritional value has been proposed to improve iron deficiency. Macrobrachium nipponense is a freshwater invasive shrimp which has recently been reported in natural and constructed water bodies of Iran, like Anzali wetland, Sefidrud reservoir and Eram Park Lake. So in this research we tried to discover the iron-chelating capacity of the hydrolyzed protein from the meat of Macrobrachium nipponense.
  • Methods: Hydrolysis Hydrolysis were carried out by pepsin and the pH and hotness were adjusted to the optimum for the pepsin function. Soluble TCA- protein method Soluble protein content of the supernatant from mixture of hydrolysate in (TCA) measured by Lowry’s method, then Degree of hydrolysis (DH) was calculated as % DH. Iron-chelating rate The chelating power of protein hydrolysate was measured spectrophotometrically based on distinctive reaction between iron and 1,2 ortho-phenanthroline reagent.
  • Results: The degree of hydrolysis (DH) The higher DH values of Macrobrachium nipponense by pepsin was found at longer time of hydrolysis and the highest value was obtained at 8 hours. Iron-chelating rate Iron chelating rate of protein hydrolysates from meat of Macrobrachium nipponense increased with increase in protein concentration.
  • Conclusion: Iron chelation values of hydrolyzed meat from Macrobrachium nipponense with pepsin increased in relation to time and rate of hydrolysis. The iron chelating values was amplified to the highest at 6 hours, then at eight hours, the degree of hydrolysis reached a steady state. Finally the maximum Iron-chelating capacity of M. nipponense hydrolysate was obtained about (49.7 μg/mg at 36.5% DH). Iron chelating activity of pink perch produced by pepsin was higher than that other enzymatic hydrolysis (80%). The chelating ability fluctuated from 7% to 46% for hydrolysates obtained from pacific hake meat by different hydrolysis method, a chelation values greater than 60% was attained in Selaroides leptolepis hydrolysate, and a chelation values of 58% was achieved for single peptide fractions from Pacific cod skin gelatin. Therefore protein hydrolysates of Macrobrachium nipponense with considerable iron chelating activity can serve as potential source of ingredients and could be applied in food industry, functional products or pharmaceuticals.
  • Keywords: Iron-chelating activity; protein hydrolysis; Macrobrachium nipponense.