Effect of Different Debittering Methods on the Quality and Antioxidant Properties of Bone Collagen Peptide

The debittering effect of β-cyclodextrin, lactoferrin or flavourzyme at various concentrations on bone collagen peptide was evaluated by electronic tongue, color analysis and sensory evaluation. The debittering mechanism was elucidated by hydrophobicity, free amino acid content and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Meanwhile, the impact of the different debittering methods on antioxidant properties of bone collagen peptide was explored in terms of total antioxidant capacity, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity, and 2,2’-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS) cation radical scavenging capacity. β-Cyclodextrin at 4 g/100 mL, lactoferrin at 5 g/100 mL and flavourzyme at 1.5 g/100 mL greatly reduced the bitterness of bone collagen peptide, and flavourzyme at 1.5 g/100 mL reduced it to the lowest level. In addition, surface hydrophobicity of all debittered samples was lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). After debittering with β-cyclodextrin or lactoferrin, the content of hydrophobic free amino acids was significantly decreased, but increased after debittering with flavourzyme (P < 0.05), suggesting that the principles of these debittering methods are different. Compared with the other debittering methods, flavourzyme treatment significantly enhanced the antioxidant ability of bone collagen peptide (P < 0.05). Thus, flavourzyme treatment offers a potential approach for the production of bone collagen peptide with acceptable bitterness intensity and high antioxidant activity.