The aim of this study was to purify and identify lipolysis-stimulating peptides derived from Flavourzyme?-soy protein isolate (SPI) hydrolysate (F-SPIH). Glycerol release was employed as a marker for lipolysis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. A higher glycerol release represents a better lipolysis-stimulating activity. The peptide fraction with highest glycerol release obtained from F-SPIH fractionated by sequential ultrafiltration membranes was further purified using gel filtration chromatography and two steps of reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The peptides were identified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Three lipolysis-stimulating peptides were obtained, and the amino acid sequences were ILL, LLL and VHVV, respectively. The in vitro effect of gastrointestinal proteases on lipolysis-stimulating activity of synthetic ILL, LLL and VHVV, respectively, was also investigated. The result suggested that the gastrointestinal protease did not affect lipolysis-stimulating activity of the three novel peptides, which reveals their potential to act as anti-obesity ingredients. ? 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
