Ultrasound-Assisted Enzymatic Processing in Protein Hydrolysis

Ultrasound-assisted enzymatic processing combines high-frequency sound waves with specific proteases to accelerate the breakdown of proteins into peptides and amino acids. The primary driving mechanism is acoustic cavitation: the formation, growth and implosive collapse of microbubbles generates intense local shear forces, transient high temperatures and pressure differentials. These effects alter both enzyme conformation and substrate structure, improving enzyme–substrate interactions, increasing mass transfer and lowering activation energy barriers. By adjusting ultrasonic frequency, power, duty cycle and treatment time, it is possible to optimise the degree of hydrolysis, peptide profile and functional properties such as solubility, emulsification and bioactivity. This hybrid approach offers a more sustainable and energy-efficient alternative to conventional thermal or mechanical pre-treatments. It has broad applications in the production of bioactive peptides for functional foods, nutraceuticals and cosmetic ingredients, as well as in valorising protein-rich agro-industrial residues to yield high-value hydrolysates with antioxidant, antihypertensive or plant-stimulatory activities.

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Technical terms

Acoustic cavitation: Formation and collapse of microbubbles under ultrasonic fields, generating shear forces and localised high temperatures that disrupt molecular structures.

Enzymatic hydrolysis: Protease-catalysed cleavage of peptide bonds in proteins, yielding smaller peptides, free amino acids and functional hydrolysates.

Degree of hydrolysis (DH): Proportion of peptide bonds cleaved during proteolysis, expressed as a percentage of total bonds, indicating the extent of hydrolysis.

Ultrasound pretreatment: Application of ultrasonic waves to enzyme or substrate prior to or during enzymatic reaction to enhance reaction rates and modify functional properties.

Proteolysis: Enzymatic breakdown of proteins into smaller peptides and amino acids through cleavage of peptide linkages.

References

1. Impact of ultrasound on pumpkin seed protein concentrate hydrolysis: Effects on Alcalase, protein, and assisted reaction. Applied Food Research (2023).
2. Ultrasound-Assisted Enzymatic Protein Hydrolysis in Food Processing: Mechanism and Parameters. Foods (2023).
3. Multi-frequency ultrasound-assisted cellulase extraction of protein from mulberry leaf: Kinetic, thermodynamic, and structural properties. Ultrasonics Sonochemistry (2023).