Abstract
This study evaluated the effect of subcritical water (SW) hydrolysis to convert meat proteins into bioactive ingredients. Pork loin was selected as a model meat source and hydrolyzed at temperatures ranging from 100 °C to 300 °C and compared with those obtained via enzymatic hydrolysis (EH). SW treatments above 200 °C enhanced protein recovery and free amino group content relative to EH treatment, with the highest protein recovery observed at 300 °C. Hydrolysates produced at temperatures above 250 °C exhibited strong antioxidative and ACE inhibitory activities without evidence of cytotoxicity. However, probiotic strain growth was inhibited and bitterness increased at temperatures above 250 °C. SW treatments below 250 °C showed reduced bitterness and higher umami intensity relative to EH treatments. The findings of this study indicated that SW treatment at 250 °C resulted in high protein recovery, strong bioactivities and favorable taste attributes, representing a promising strategy for the conversion of pork loin proteins into high-value food ingredients.
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Acknowledgements
This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), funded by the Ministry of Education (grant No. RS-2022-NR070874) and by the Ministry of Science and ICT (grant No. RS-2024-00341861). This research was also supported partially by the “Regional Innovation System & Education (RISE)” through the Seoul RISE Center, funded by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Seoul Metropolitan Government (No. 2025-RISE-01-019-04).
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Y.W.L. conducted formal analyses, study design, data interpretation, and drafted and edited the manuscript. S.Y.L. conducted data interpretation and drafted and edited the manuscript. G.P.H. aided conceptualization of the work, supervised, edited the manuscript, and acquired funding for this work.
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Lee, J.W., Lee, S. & Hong, GP. Subcritical water hydrolysis for food applications: Temperature-dependent conversion and bioactivities of meat proteins. npj Sci Food (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-026-00770-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-026-00770-2
