Preparation and Evaluation of the Chelating Nanocomposite Fabricated with Marine Algae Schizochytrium sp. Protein Hydrolysate and Calcium

Marine algae have been becoming a popular research topic because of their biological implication. The algae peptide-based metal-chelating complex was investigated in this study. Schizochytrium sp. protein hydrolysate (SPH) possessing high Ca-binding capacity was prepared through stepwise enzymatic hydrolysis to a degree of hydrolysis of 22.46%. The nanocomposites of SPH chelated with calcium ions were fabricated in aqueous solution at pH 6 and 30 °C for 20 min, with the ratio of SPH to calcium 3:1 (w/w). The size distribution showed that the nanocomposite had compact structure with a radius of 68.16 ± 0.50 nm. SPH was rich in acidic amino acids, accounting for 33.55%, which are liable to bind with calcium ions. The molecular mass distribution demonstrated that the molecular mass of SPH was principally concentrated at 180–2000 Da. UV scanning spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggested that the primary sites of calcium-binding corresponded to the carboxyl groups, carbonyl groups, and amino groups of SPH. The results of fluorescent spectroscopy, size distribution, atomic force microscope, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy suggested that calcium ions chelated with SPH would cause intramolecular and intermolecular folding and aggregating. The SPH-calcium chelate exerted remarkable stability and absorbability under either acidic or basic conditions, which was in favor of calcium absorption in the gastrointestinal tracts of humans. The investigation suggests that SPH-calcium chelate has the potential prospect to be utilized as a nutraceutical supplement to improve bone health in the human body.