It has been experimentally proven that germinated plant seeds, such as leek, red clover, broccoli, and others contain proteases, which are able to digest animal protein such as gelatin, bovine albumin, casein, and egg albumin. Preliminary tests were carried out with the use of a semi-qualitative gelatin test, which is often applied to prove the presence of fruit enzymes. Quantitative examinations were carried out with the use of a ninhydrin reaction for amino acid determination as well as the Bradford and Smith methods for protein determination. Respective calibration curves were obtained for glycine (amino acid analysis) as well as for egg albumin, bovine albumin, and gelatin (protein analysis), with a full statistical evaluation including Mandel and Lack-of-Fit tests to check for linearity. It has been proven that the selected germinated seeds containing proteases can be applied as an effective aid for animal protein digestion.
Keywords: Animal protein; Food technology; Plant protein; Protease; Sprout.