Radical Scavenging Activity of Seela (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sphyraena barracuda)</Emphasis> and Ribbon Fish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lepturacanthus savala)</Emphasis> Backbone Protein Hydrolysates

We have investigated the antioxidant activity of protein hydrolysates prepared from backbones of two commercially important fishes; seela (Sphyraena barracuda) and ribbon fish (Lepturacanthus savala). Pepsin and trypsin hydrolysates were found more potent to inhibit lipid peroxidation in case of ribbon and seela fish respectively and were further purified by using fast protein liquid chromatography on anion exchange and gel filtration chromatography. The active peaks after gel filtration chromatography of seela fish was able to scavenge 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl and hydroxyl radicals by 61 ± 2.3 and 58.7 ± 2.3% and ribbon fish hydrolysate by 60.0 ± 2.6 and 55.6 ± 1.8% as measured by ESR spectroscopy. And the active fractions showed presence of both essential and non-essential amino acids with high percentages of arginine (11.95 and 12.76%) and lysine (13.49 and 13.89%).