Germinated wheat is a food material with potential health benefits due to its high phenolic and antioxidant content, but the reason why germination increases this content is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between protein changes (determined by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE)), phenolics, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels, and antioxidant capacity of wheat germinated for various periods (24, 48, 72, and 96 h) compared to control. Each phenolic acid tended to increase with increasing germination time. The GABA content was highest (39.98 mg/100 g dwb) after 96 h of germination. The total oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) was 1.97 times higher after 96 h than in ungerminated seeds. Fifteen proteins, among 82 proteins separated by 2-DE, were highly related with ORAC and were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting (PMS). The PMS revealed strong expression of granule bound starch synthase (GBSS) and glutathione S-transferase (GSTF) after 96 h of germination. Overall, the ORAC at 96 h exhibited a close relationship with the levels of phenolic acids, GABA, and proteins such as GBSS and GSTF. In conclusion, these findings add to the existing knowledge of wheat protein changes and their relationship to the antioxidant properties of germinating wheat seeds.

Collagen hydrolysate were extracted from Alaska pollock skin using enzymatic (EAE), ultrasound (UAE), or combination of enzymatic and ultrasound (EAE+UAE) treatment. Control (C) was not treated with enzymatic or ultrasound. The extracts from C, EAE, UAE, and EAE+UAE were fractionated with ≤3, 3–10, 10–30, and ≥30 kDa. Each fraction was evaluated for biological activity and structural properties. All fractions contained high levels of glycine and proline. The ≤3 kDa fraction of control and ultrasound-assisted extracts exhibited the highest antioxidant activity as measured using Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, ferric ion reducing antioxidant power, oxygen radical absorbance capacity, and an assay on the inhibition of nitric oxide production by LPS-induced macrophages. The structurally digested collagen was evaluated using FTIR spectra and SDS-PAGE after Alcalase^® and ultrasound treatments. The microstructure of collagen hydrolysate was assessed using SEM microscopy; the surface morphology was altered according to fraction size and extraction conditions. Overall, it was determined that enzyme treatment in combination with ultrasound is the most effective procedure for obtaining digested collagen hydrolysate, which could be used to further improve biotechnological processing for the addition of value to marine production chains in the future.