Antihypertensive and Antioxidant Properties from Whey Protein Hydrolysates Produced by Encapsulated Bacillus subtilis Cells

The proteolytic action from encapsulated Bacillus subtilis cells into polymeric system based in sodium alginate-chitosan-poly (ethylene glycol) (SA/CS/PEG) was evaluated to produce whey protein hydrolysates with antihypertensive and antioxidant properties. Polymeric system SA/CS/PEG resulted in an adequate composite material for the encapsulation of B. subtilis cells. The capsules showed porosity, resistance to agitation and they did not show material leakage and cells leakage. The proteolysis from encapsulated B. subtilis was comparable with the hydrolysis by whole free B. subtilis cells, achieving approximately 40% of hydrolysis of whey proteins after of 6 h. In addition, the proteolysis was maintained during various cycles of hydrolysis, without a drastic reduction of the enzymatic activity. The hydrolisate products included two peptidic fractions; peptides up 11 kDa and those of smaller size than 3 kDa. Peptides than 3 kDa showed high antihypertensive and antioxidant activity (82.33 and 76.54% respectively), and a great contained of amino acids, which were associated to these biological properties.