High-efficiency decomposition of eggshell membrane by a keratinase from Meiothermus taiwanensis

Abstract

Eggshell membrane (ESM), a plentiful biological waste, consists of collagen-like proteins and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) such as hyaluronic acid (HA). Here we used a keratinase (oeMtaker)-mediated system to decompose ESM. The best reaction condition was established by incubating the solution containing oeMtaker, sodium sulfite, and ESM with a weight ratio of 1:120:600. ESM enzymatic hydrolysate (ESM-EH) showed a high proportion of essential amino acids and type X collagen peptides with 963–2259 Da molecular weights. The amounts of GAGs and sulfated GAGs in ESM-EH were quantified as 6.4% and 0.7%, respectively. The precipitated polysaccharides with an average molecular weight of 1300–1700 kDa showed an immunomodulatory activity by stimulating pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) production. In addition, a microorganism-based system was established to hydrolyze ESM by Meiothermus taiwanensis WR-220. The amounts of GAGs and sulfated GAGs in the system were quantified as 0.9% and 0.1%, respectively. Based on our pre-pilot tests, the system shows great promise in developing into a low-cost and high-performance process. These results indicate that the keratinase-mediated system could hydrolyze ESM more efficiently and produce more bioactive substances than ever for therapeutical applications and dietary supplements.

Preparation, Biological Activities, and Potential Applications of Hen Egg-Derived Peptides: A Review

“…Currently, enzymatic hydrolysis is the most common method used to generate HEPs. It is milder than other methods, and the obtained proportions of some essential amino acids were higher than those in previous studies [48]. HEPs, obtained through proteolysis by food-grade commercial enzymes, have been generally regarded as safe (GRAS).…”

Keratinolytic Properties of Aspergillus clavatus Promising for Biodegradation

“…Keratinolytic enzymes have been actively investigated and described since the second half of the previous century and have extensive prospects for application not only in biodegradation, but also in other industrial sectors, for example, in the food and leather production [ 11 , 12 ]. It is noteworthy that the focus of scientific works on keratinases, which are mainly microbial metabolism products, stays on enzymes of bacterial origin [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. This fact is obviously associated with a better investigation of these organisms as objects of scientific research and biotechnological processes in comparison with fungal models, although filamentous fungi are also capable of secreting hydrolases that destroy keratin [ 21 ].…”