FOOD SCIENCE

• Basic Research • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Using FTIR and 1H-NMR to Explore the Structure of Antioxidant Peptide KWFH Treated by Pulsed Electric Field (PEF)

WANG Ying1,2, XING Jie2, LI Xingfang2, YIN Yongguang1,2,*   

  1. 1. College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130025, China;
    2. School of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
  • Online:2017-01-15 Published:2017-01-16

Abstract: This study attempted to explore the mechanism of the effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) on improving the
activity of antioxidant peptide. The effect of two PEF factors, electric field strength and pulse frequency, on the antioxidant
activity of KWFH, a commercial antioxidant peptide, was investigated by measuring its DPPH radical scavenging capacity.
The results showed that PEF treatment at a pulse frequency of 2 400 Hz and an electric field strength of 10 kV/cm resulted in
a 13.92% increase in the antioxidant activity of KWFH (P < 0.05). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear
magnetic resonance (NMR), zeta potential and circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD) were used to analyze the structure
of the PEF-treated peptide. The FTIR analysis indicated that the absorption peak intensity of C=O and aromatic ring in
the sample was enhanced. The 1H-NMR results led to a speculation that functional groups changes resulted in changes in
proton absorption intensity. At the same time, the Zeta potential value of the PEF-treated sample was increased by 8.70 mV
(P < 0.05). It was further speculated that after PEF treatment, the structure of the antioxidant peptide KWFH became
unordered, resulting in exposure of functional groups and an increase of absorption peak intensity, and eventually changes
in peptide activity. Moreover, PEF treatment had no effect on the transformation of the secondary structure. This study can
provide a theoretical basis for improving the activity of antioxidant peptides by PEF treatment, and for further exploring the
underlying mechanism.

Key words: pulsed electric field (PEF), antioxidant peptide, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)

CLC Number: