ISLAMABAD: Chinese and Pakistani researchers have conducted a study on “The Extracting Technology for Antioxidant Oligopeptides from Donkey Meat” which proved that donkey meat has a “good antioxidant activity”.
Antioxidants are molecules/substances that fight free radicals in the body. Free radicals can cause harm if their level surges in the body; they can cause multiple illnesses including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc.
The Chinese researchers include Lanjie Li and Guiqin Liu from Liaocheng University and Jingjing Zhang, Ruiyan Zhang, Ning Zhang, and Zixiang Wei from Liaocheng University. Pakistani researchers include Riaz Hussain Pasha, Muhammad Akram Khan, and Saif-Ur-Rehman from PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi.
The researchers, while using Two-Step Enzymatic Hydrolysis during the study, developed the technology of enzymatic hydrolysis for antioxidant peptides derived from donkey meat.
The findings determined that at optimum conditions, a degree of hydrolysis (DH) of 25.4%, protein recovery (PR) of 95%, DSA of 69.75% were obtained and hydrolysates (3 h) had similar molecular weight distribution (MWD) to Ejiao Oligopeptide, which had been “proved to have good antioxidant activity”. “These results provide fundamental data for the application of donkey hydrolysates, such as protein supplementation in food systems,” reads the findings.
As per the introduction of the study, donkey is an important source of medicinal products in China. Donkey’s hide could enrich the blood and enhances white blood cells and is used in adjuvant chemotherapy. Similarly, donkey meat improves liver and kidney functions, promotes blood tonic, body immunity, anti-aging, profit lung, and eyesight effects.
The donkey population continues to grow at a steady speed in Pakistan.–Agencies
