Characterisation of trypsin purified from the viscera of Tunisian barbel (Barbus callensis) and its application for recovery of carotenoproteins from shrimp wastes

Trypsin was purified from the viscera of barbel by precipitation using ammonium sulphate (0-80%), Sephadex G-100, and Mono Q-Sepharose ion exchange chromatography. The trypsin was purified 27-fold, with 79 U/mg specific activity and 31% recovery. The enzyme had a molecular weight of 24 kDa; purified trypsin appeared as a single band on native-PAGE. The optimum pH and temperature for enzyme activity were pH 10.0 and 55 °C with BAPNA used as a substrate. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the first 12 amino acids of the purified trypsin was IVGGYECTPYSQ. The Michaelis-Menten constant (K_m) and catalytic constant (k_cat) values of the enzyme were 0.018 mM and 1.21 s⁻¹, respectively. The study also investigated the effects of purified trypsin on the recovery of carotenoproteins from shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris) shells through hydrolysis using 1.0 U barbel trypsin/g shrimp shells for 1 h at 30 °C. The freeze-dried carotenoproteins recovered contained 71.09% protein, 16.47% lipid, 7.78% ash, and 1.79% chitin.