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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #284516

Title: Proteolysis of meat and bone meal to increase utilisation

Author
item Piazza, George
item Garcia, Rafael

Submitted to: Animal Production Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/19/2013
Publication Date: 5/7/2013
Citation: Piazza, G.J., Garcia, R.A. 2013. Proteolysis of meat and bone meal to increase utilisation. Animal Production Science. 54:200-206. Available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/AN13041.

Interpretive Summary: We are conducting research to find nonfood uses for agricultural by-products, such as meat & bone meal, a by-product of animal processing. Although meat & bone meal is rich in protein, most of its protein is in an insoluble form which limits its utilization. We have found that treatment of meat & bone meal with two particular enzymes causes its proteinaceous material to become soluble. The results of this research will promote new uses for meat & bone meal such as its use as a major component in the manufacture of a renewable flocculant and glue.

Technical Abstract: Meat & bone meal (MBM) is the ground, dehydrated remainder of an animal after removal of the hide and meat. The majority of MBM is insoluble. Trypsin and Subtilisin were used to convert MBM to a soluble form. Sequential measurements were made on the soluble material: dried mass, equivalent protein content, free amino groups, and molecular weight distribution. After long treatment by either protease, 78 % of MBM was soluble mass, and there was no correlation between the degree of proteolysis and the amount of soluble mass. Soluble MBM extracts contained 65% protein equivalents. The molecular weight of the trypsin hydrolysates was higher than Subtilisin hydrolysates. Early time course soluble extracts showed flocculation activity, but activity was lost after 7h of treatment with trypsin and 1 h of treatment with Subtilisin. Subtilisin proteolysis for 30-48 h gave extracts with flocculation activity.