Effect of Microwave Irradiation on Dipeptides and Proteins Derived from Silk During Solvation

Silkworm silk and spider silk have been attracting numerous interests. Rapid solvation of silkworm silk protein and spider silk protein without hydrolysis of peptide bonds is highly desirable. Microwave irradiation has been proposed for facile extraction of water-soluble silk protein by various liquid media. However, microwave exposure can cause hydrolysis of peptide bonds, leading to irreversible degradation of silk protein. In this study, a series of representative dipeptides and a rationally designed recombinant protein derived from silk protein is employed to investigate the effect of microwave on the stability of the peptide bonds during a long time dissolution process, i.e., heating at 60 degrees C in a CaCl2:CH3CH2OH:H2O (1:2:8) solution. Results demonstrate that microwave irradiation imposes a minor damage and a negligible cleavage of the peptide bonds, compared with the conventional heating method. The microwave irradiation treatment suggested in this is suitable for dissolution of silk protein. It is anticipated that this approach can be developed to a commercial level commercially.

Automated summary

This study investigates the effect of microwave on the stability of peptide bonds in silk protein, and finds that microwave irradiation causes minor damage and negligible cleavage of the peptide bonds compared to conventional heating methods, making it suitable for silk protein dissolution.