Identification and partial characterization of selected proteolytic enzymes in the digestive system of giant freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man) Postlarvae

Biochemical assays and substrate SDS-PAGE were conducted to partially characterize and identify various types of proteases present in the digestive tract of PL₁₅ giant freshwater prawn ( Macrobrachium rosenbergii ). Casein hydrolytic assay of the enzyme extracts showed major proteolytic activities at pH 3.0, 6.0 and 9.0, while assay of preincubated enzyme extracts with phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride (PMSF), a serine protease inhibitor produced a 33.17% reduction in alkaline protease activity. When specific inhibitors tosyl-lysine chloromethyl ketone and tosyl-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone were used, they resulted in a reduction in activity of proteases in the enzyme extracts by 82.41% and 55.03%, respectively, confirming the presence of trypsin and chymotrypsin, while ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid produced protease activity reduction in 33.92% showing the presence of metalloproteases in the digestive tract of the prawn. Further characterization of the alkaline proteases using SDS-PAGE technique, after incubating the extract in the presence or absence of specific inhibitors, produced six bands corresponding to molecular masses of between 13.48 and 136.1 kDa; two trypsin bands of 13.48 and 36.4 kDa, three chymotrypsin bands in the range of 23.0–73.4 kDa and one for metalloprotease of 136.1 kDa, all of which were identified from a zymogram. This study suggests that protein digestion in M. rosenbergii is initiated by an acid protease followed by a combination of action of alkaline proteases: trypsin, chymotrypsin and metalloproteases.