Antioxidative activity of soluble elastin peptides

Insoluble elastin was rendered soluble by pepsin digestion and HCl treatment. The antioxidative activity of pepsin-solubilized elastin (PSE) and acid-solubilized elastin (ASE) was investigated. The peroxide value and carbonyl value of oleic acid in the presence and absence of PSE and ASE after oxidation at high temperature (75-90 degrees C) were evaluated. Both PSE and ASE were effective inhibitors of the oxidation of oleic acid. The antioxidative activity of PSE and ASE was enhanced in the presence of citric acid as a synergist. Both PSE and ASE are thought to be valuable as antioxidants. Since the preparation of ASE was easier than the preparation of PSE, ASE could therefore be more useful as an antioxidative agent. The antioxidative activity of low molecular weight peptides obtained from ASE could be found by the ferric thiocyanate method.