Modification of the characteristics of silkworm powder by treatment with alkaline protease

Enzymatic modification of proteins is often used to increase the biological activity of materials. Silkworm powder has been investigated as a functional food resource, but no study has been performed on its modification by commercial food enzyme. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the feasibility of such modification of silkworm powder by alkaline protease. The activity of the enzyme was confirmed using an azocasein assay. Subsequently the silkworm powder was hydrolyzed by enzymatic treatment. UV visible spectrometry showed that the supernatant of silkworm powder subjected to enzymatic treatment had a stronger absorption band than the untreated powder. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis showed that the molecular weight of silkworm powder decreased on enzymatic treatment. Thus the results indicate that commercial enzymes might be used to modify the characteristics of silkworm powder.