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One major factor shaping the composition and physiology of colon microbiota is the availability of glycans, most of which cannot be digested by enzymes encoded in the human genome. Gut microbiota can digest the indigestible glycans and further produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which serve as nutrients for colonocytes and other gut epithelial cells. Mucus glycoproteins of swiftlet’s edible nest (genus Collocalia) are mainly constituted of sialic acid-rich O-glycosylproteins with numerous monosialyl and disialyl glycans. In this study, the glycans from edible bird nest (EBN) have been extracted from the native glycoprotein by reaction alkaline hydrolysis (beta-elimination). The extracted glycans was tested for its potential as prebiotic for the growth of beneficial bacteria in human colon. Results showed that the glycan of EBN can resist human stomach digestion, thus have a potential to act as prebiotic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrolysis process was performed on fish meat from Red Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) by enzymes thermolysin and alcalase under optimum conditions. The hydrolysis was performed from 0 - 4 hours at 37oC. Hydrolysates after 2 hours incubation with thermolysin and alcalase had degree of hydrolysis of 76.29 % and 63.49 %, respectively. The freeze dried protein hydrolysate was tested for peptide content and characterized with respect to amino acid composition. The result of increased peptide content in Red Tilapia (O. Niloticus) hydrolysates obtained was directly proportional to the increase activities of different proteolytic enzymes. The result of amino acid composition showed that the sample used contained abundant Gly, Ala, Asp, Glu, Lys and Leu in residues or peptide sequences. Both enzymatic hydrolysates were tested for anti-oxidant activity with DPPH and ABTS assay. Alcalase yielded higher anti-oxidative activity than Thermolysin hydrolysates after 1 hour incubation, but both enzymes hydrolysates showed a significant decrease of anti-oxidant activity after 2 hours of incubation. Hydrolysates from Red Tilapia may contribute as a health promoting ingredient in functional foods to reduce oxidation stress caused by accumulated free radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]