How chicken and turkey residues can become dietary supplements

When the edible parts of a plant, fish, or animal are used in food production, there are often leftover raw materials. These can include stems, peels, bones, membranes, and innards. This is referred to as residual material, or by-products.

The method researchers use to transform these into health-promoting ingredients is called enzymatic protein hydrolysis.

Beneficial for our health

This method breaks down protein-rich by-products into smaller components. The result is a mixture of proteins, peptides, amino acids, and minerals.

This mixture contains substances that are beneficial to our health. 

Hydrolysis comes from Latin words and means ‘splitting by water.’ In food science, it refers to a process where larger molecules are broken down into smaller units by adding water.

In a dedicated research project, researchers are now working to identify precisely which parts of this broken-down mixture may have positive health effects, including what are called peptides.

Peptides are short chains of amino acids. They can be bioactive, meaning they can activate processes in the body, such as stabilising blood sugar or strengthening muscles.

“The smallest peptides can offer the greatest health benefits. We have identified peptides that may contribute to stable blood sugar or blood pressure, and peptides that strengthen muscles. These can be added to food or used as dietary supplements,” says researcher and project leader Sileshi Wubshet at Nofima. 

Can stabilise blood pressure and blood sugar

Sileshi and his colleagues compared the peptides from chicken and turkey with synthetic molecules. T These molecules have the properties the researchers are seeking.

The goal was to understand the chemical properties of the different peptides. They discovered that the properties of the peptides and the synthetic molecules are identical.

Among the molecules from the residual material mixture, there are various peptides with properties that can stabilise blood pressure and blood sugar. 

The peptides in Calanus finmarchicus also have diverse properties; while some show positive effects on muscle growth, others ensure steady blood sugar levels.

A tailored process

A key to success has been optimising the method used to break down proteins into peptides. 

Through over 60 laboratory experiments on each raw material, the researchers identified the ideal combination of hydrolysis time, temperature, and enzymes.

“We can now tailor the hydrolysis process and increase the yield of specific bioactive peptides,” says Wubshet.

The promising results from the laboratory experiments will now be tested on a slightly larger scale. The next step is to test the methods at an industrial scale. 

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Read the Norwegian version of this article on forskning.no

This content is paid for and presented by Nofima The Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research

This content is created by Nofima's communication staff, who use this platform to communicate science and share results from research with the public. Nofima is one of more than 80 owners of ScienceNorway.no. Read more here.

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