QUANTITATIVE ASSAY OF SPECIFIC PROTEOLYTIC ACTIVITY IN FOOD PROTEIN HYDROLYZATES BY SINGLE RADIAL IMMUNODIFFUSION

Abstract
The increasing use of proteolytic enzymes in food production has established the need for a quantitative and sensitive assay for proteolytic activity in protein foods. The classical methods are not suitable because of the presence of large amounts of proteins and peptides. A quantitative procedure based on single radial immunodiffusion was developed and found to be applicable to the determination of subtilisin Carlsberg activity in protein hydrolyzates. Less than 0.5 ppm subtilisin Carlsberg could be detected in a 7% soy protein hydrolyzate. With minor modifications the method should be applicable to many of the other enzymes used in food processing.