Utilization of the Weed Cichorium Pumilum, Jacq as Vegetable Protease Enzymes for Whey Protein Hydrolysate Production

This study was conduction to find a suitable and cheap plant as a source for extracting vegetable protease enzymes and investigate the effect of these enzymes for producing whey protein hydrolysate. The extract prepared from the composite weed cichorium pumilum had a satisfactory protease activity, each ml of this extract prepared from 0.1 gm dried cichorium weed stems.An alkaline and acidic cichorium protease enzymes were purified by precipitated with ammonium sulfate, followed by dialysis and gel filtration.Enzymes activity greatly increased after purification with gel filtration. Heated whey protein solution (100ml solution of 10 % protein) was incubated with each of 1, 2,3, 4,and 5 ml extract (CCPE treatments)or each of 0.1, 0. 2, 0. 3, 0. 4 and 0. 5 ml cichorium alkaline protease enzyme (PKCPE treatments) or 0. 1, 0. 2, 0. 3, 0. 4 and 0. 5 ml cichorium acidic protease enzyme (PACPE treatments) for 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210 and 240 min at the optimum temperature and pH of each enzyme type. Cichorium crude protease extract (CCPE) at volume of 3ml and incubation period 240 min. had ability to produce good hydrolysate without bitter taste,.the corresponding volumes of PKCPE& PACPE were 0. 3ml and 0. 4 with same incubation time, respectively.