Abstract: This study investigates the impact of fibrous proteins from enoki mushrooms on the digestibility of a plant-based formulation (2B), measured by the degree of hydrolysis (DH). The fibrous protein (E) was derived from Flammulina velutipes (enoki mushroom), while the bio-ink (B), a plant-protein formulation, consisted of pea protein (10%), soy protein (10%), and cornmeal (5%) in sodium alginate (0.5%) and water (74.5%). The plant proteins were combined to provide a complete profile of essential amino acids. Three samples with different ratios were studied: (i) sample with the highest fibrous protein content (2B:2E), (ii) sample with lower fibrous protein content (2B:1E), and (iii) sample without any fibrous protein (2B). These samples were heated at 60°C for five minutes and afterward subjected to in-vitro digestion (IVD), whereby free amino acids were measured using the ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA) assay. The DH of the samples was calculated by dividing the free amino acid groups after digestion, by those before digestion. Significant differences were observed in the digestibility of the samples, based on their DH which were: 65.1% (P < 0.05), 54.1% (p = 0.000343), and 45.8% (p = 0.000239), for 2B, 2B:1E, and 2B:2E, respectively. Thus, the 2B:2E sample exhibited the lowest digestibility, followed by 2B:1E and 2B (P < 0.05). Likely the formation of more S-S bonds in the samples after heating made 2B:2E and 2B:1E more resistant to enzymatic action. We concluded that the 2B:1E ratio was optimal, as it balances the benefits of enoki mushrooms without greatly reducing digestibility.

Keywords : Amino Acids, Degree of Hydrolysis, Enoki Mushrooms, Digestibility.