Abstract
The oxidative chemical degradation produced by reactive species (free radicals, oxygen, etc.) is responsible for the deterioration of most of the formulated products. One of the main properties of an antioxidant lies in its capacity to limit the chemical propagation of oxidation by reducing free radicals. Another strategy to prevent oxidation is binding transition metals since they are ubiquitous and deeply involved in the initiation and propagation of lipids oxidation. Naturally occurring phospholipids, polyphenols, proteins, or peptides that can bind metal ions could be more valued than synthetic molecules, for human wellbeing, but also to align with consumer preferences. Yet, EDTA salts and sodium citrate remain the most common metal chelators in foods. In this study, we went to investigate a strategy to develop naturally produced antioxidants peptides from edible plant biomass, such as rapeseed. Several enzymatic hydrolyses of total rapeseed protein isolate with various proteases have been performed, and the produced peptides were screened for their antioxidant capacity. Peptides generated with Prolyve® allowed for particularly high Fe2+ chelation capacity (EC50 = 247 27 μg). Accordingly, the enzymatic processing step with Prolyve® was modeled and optimized to minimize reaction costs and maximize peptide recovery. Then, lipid oxidation was studied in the presence or in the absence of chelating peptides, in micellar, bulk, and oil-in-water emulsion systems, and compared with EDTA salts and sodium citrate. Results clearly emphasized a very interesting potential from the peptides sample to prevent lipid oxidation by chelation of transition metals in emulsified models. This result is particularly important to develop the potential of applications of rapeseed meal in various food formulations. In addition, this study emphasized an approach aiming at developing food chelator peptides from plant proteins, having multifunctional properties, and through sustainable processing.