Abstract: Several enzymes were respectively used to hydrolyze corn protein for screening the best one. Alkali protease Alcalase AF 2.4L was confirmed as the optimum single enzyme. Taking degree of hydrolysis as index for investigation, the conditions for alkali protease hydrolyzing corn gluten meal were optimized through orthogonal test. And pilot study on the antioxidant activity of the prepared short peptides was conducted. Experimenal results indicated that when the hydrolysis conditions of alkali protease are pH 9.0, temperature 50.0, enzyme concentration to substrate concentration (E/S) ratio 3.0%, solid-liquid ratio 1:18, and hydrolysis time 3.0 h, the degree of hydrolysis is 22.80% and the recovery rate of total nitrogen is 89.58%. The average length of peptide chain of the short peptides prepared is 3.93. The short peptides have better antioxidant activity, the scavenging rate to hydroxyl free radical reaching 82.20%.

Key words: corn gluten meal, hydrolysis degree, short peptides, enzymolysis