Nutrients and antioxidant properties of enzymatically hydrolyzed anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) paste

Anchovy, a low-value small marine fish, is mainly processed into fish meal, whose high-value functional components are not fully exploited. In this study, the enzymatically hydrolyzed anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) paste (EHAP) was prepared by hydrolyzing anchovy using Alcalase2.4 L, and the nutrients and antioxidant properties of EHAP were assessed to increase its added value. Protein, total amino acids and oligopeptide of the nutrients in EHAP reached 73.9 ± 0.7%, 56.1 ± 0.8 g/100 g and 50.4 ± 1.6%, respectively. The molecular weight distribution of EHAP displayed a high dipeptides and tripeptides proportion of 60.1 ± 0.4%. Furthermore, EHAP showed the highest antioxidant activities of ferrous ion chelating, lipid peroxidation inhibition and DPPH scavenging activity, reached about 34%, 40% and 49%, respectively. Collectively, the EHAP belonged to a product with strong antioxidant properties, and was rich in nutrients, which could serve as a valuable bioactive marine resource applied in the aquatic feed and functional food industry.