Peptides containing tryptophan

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process to produce a composition comprising water-soluble peptides and having a Trp/LNAA ratio of more than 0.15, which comprises hydrolyzing lysozyme, preferably hen eggs lysozyme, to prepare a hydrolysate having a DH of between 5 and 45.

1 . A process to produce a composition comprising a water-soluble, tryptophan-containing peptide and having a Trp/LNAA ratio of more than 0.15, which comprises hydrolyzing lysozyme, preferably hen eggs lysozyme, to prepare a hydrolysate having a DH of between 5 and 45, and optionally removing part of the arginine or lysine containing peptides. 
     
     
         2 . A process according to  claim 1  wherein the composition comprises AW or GNW, preferably AW and GNW. 
     
     
         3 . A composition comprising at least two different water-soluble, tryptophan-containing peptides peptides and wherein the Trp/LNAA ratio of the composition is at least 0.15, preferably between 0.15 and 1.8. 
     
     
         4 . A composition according to  claim 3  which comprises AW or GNW, preferably AW and GNW. 
     
     
         5 . A composition comprising at least two different peptides selected from di- or tripeptides, whereby two peptides selected from di- or tripeptides are each present in an amount of at least 5 mol % of the total amount of di- and tripeptides, and in which more than 30 mol % of the total tryptophan is present as peptide bound tryptophan, and preferably more than 40 mol %, more preferably more than 50 mol %, even more preferably more than 60 mol %, still more preferably more than 70 mol % and most preferably more than 80 mol % of the peptide-bound tryptophan is present in the form of a di- or a tripeptide, preferably the composition has a Trp/LNAA ratio of more than 0.15, preferably between 0.15 and 1.8. 
     
     
         6 . A composition comprising the water soluble fraction of a lysozyme hydrolysate. 
     
     
         7 . A composition according to any one of the  claims 3  to  6  which is obtainable by the process of  claim 1  or  2 . 
     
     
         8 . A composition according to any one of the  claims 3  to  7  which is a lysozyme hydrolysate, preferably a hen egg lysozyme hydrolysate. 
     
     
         9 . A composition according to anyone of  claims 3  to  8  wherein the molar ratio of AW to GNW is between 1 to 2 and 10 to 1, preferably between 1 to 2 and 5 to 1. 
     
     
         10 . A composition according to anyone of  claims 3  to  9  which further comprises free tryptophan. 
     
     
         11 . Use of a composition which is obtained by hydrolyzing lysozyme, preferably hen egg lysozyme, or a composition according to  claims 3  to  10  for improving mood, cognition, appetite, alertness, vigilance, sleep onset and quality, anxiolytic effects, depression, affective reaction control or sexual behavior, or for use as ingredient in the preparation of a food, feed, dietary supplement or neutraceutical composition for mood, appetite, alertness, sleep onset and quality, anxiolytic effects, depression, affective reaction control or sexual behavior. 
     
     
         12 . Use of AW, SW or GNW for improving mood, cognition, appetite, alertness, vigilance, sleep onset and quality, anxiolytic effects, depression, affective reaction control or sexual behavior, or for use as ingredient in the preparation of a food, feed, dietary supplement or neutraceutical composition for mood, appetite, alertness, sleep onset and quality, anxiolytic effects, depression, affective reaction control or sexual behavior. 
     
     
         13 . Use of lysozyme to produce a composition comprising at least two different water-soluble, tryptophan-containing peptides peptides, preferably the peptides AW and GNW, and having a Trp/LNAA ratio of more than 0.15 
     
     
         14 . A food, pet food, feed, dietary supplement or neutraceutical composition comprising the composition produced according to the process of  claim 1  or  2 , or the composition according to  claims 3  to  10  or comprising GNW, SW or AW. 
     
     
         15 . A food according to  claim 14  which is an infant formula. 
     
     
         16 . Use of water-soluble tryptophan-containing peptides or a composition according to any one of  claims 3  to  10  for increasing the Trp/LNAA ratio in plasma within 90 minutes, preferably 60 minutes, most preferably 30 minutes after uptake of the peptides or the composition, or for the preparation of a neutraceutical composition for increasing the Trp/LNAA ratio in plasma within 90 minutes, preferably 60 minutes, most preferably 30 minutes after uptake of the peptides. 
     
     
         17 . Use of  claim 16  which further comprises the uptake of protein or protein-containing food at the same time or almost the same time as the water-soluble peptides. 
     
     
         18 . Use according to  claim 16  or  17  wherein the Trp/LNAA ratio in plasma becomes higher than the Trp/LNAA ratio of the water-soluble peptides or the composition according to any one of  claims 3  to  10 .