• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1324-1330
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• 2017

Salt, or sodium chloride (NaCl), is a critical ingredient in many foods. It has roles in the flavor profiles of food products, textures of foods and preservation of foods against microbes. However, it increases risks of hypertension and is closely related to the development of cardiovascular disease. In recent years, health concerns related to sodium intake caused an increased demand for salt-reduced products in worldwide; it became necessary to develop natural salt-alternative products that are globally competitive. In a recent study, researchers succeeded in obtaining a natural salt enhancer through the hydrolysis of vegetable- and animal-matter mixtures. This study used various methods to identify and quantify peptide-containing arginine as a salt-alternative peptide (SAP) in an optimum combination. Arginine, or dipeptide-containing arginine, was analyzed as a standard substance using an NMR spectroscopy. The NMR carbon signal of the guanidine group of the standard substance was verified in a similar location (the L-arginine (Arg) was 156.8 ppm, the Arg-Alanine was 156.4 ppm and the Arg-Serine was 156.4 ppm). The results suggested that it is possible to analyze peptide-containing arginine quantitatively through the hydrolysis of vegetable- and animal-matter mixtures.