Exploration of Low-Sodium Processing and Functional Utilization for Mass-Produced Tuna Cooking Drip

대용량 참치자숙액의 활용을 위한 저염화 참치자숙액 가수분해물의 기능성 분석

During the canning of tuna, many by-products are produced, including dark meat, viscera, skin, and cooking drip. As production volume increases, the amount of by-products also rises. Therefore, this study aimed to utilize discarded processing by-products as functional materials. The cooking drip generated during tuna canning was desalted and used to produce hydrolysates. Four commercial enzymes-Alcalase, Flavourzyme, Neutrase, and Protamex-were employed, yielding hydrolysis rates of 65.25%, 76.12%, 75.7%, and 65.25%, respectively. The prepared hydrolysate's ABTS radical scavenging activity (IC₅₀ values) were 3.5, 7.3, 5.2, and 6.2 mg/mL. The alcalase-assisted hydrolysate from tuna cooking drip (ATH) was identified as the most effective treatment in this study. An in vitro study showed that ATH significantly inhibited reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide production in Vero cells. Therefore, ATH has potential as a functional ingredient in the food industry due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.