Abstract
Shrimp head of Penaeus kerathurus obtained from industrial processing, were hydrolyzed by commercial trypsin (0.1%). Hydrolysis reaction was terminated by heat inactivation of the enzyme (95°C) followed by centrifugation. The produced protein hydrolysates were characterized by biochemical analysis for protein content, total free amino acids (FAA), total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) and electrophoresis SDS-PAGE profile. Functional properties such as emulsifying capacity, fat adsorption and foaming property were assessed. Compared to the raw shrimp head protein, results from enzymatic hydrolysis showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in protein content and FAA (17.22%). The low level of trypsin used in this study was sufficient to solubilize the substrate, resulting in substantial protein contents and TVB-N levels (< 6mg/100g), which was significantly lower than the acceptable limits established for marine products.