Myoglobin species with enhanced prooxidative activity is formed during mild proteolysis by pepsin.

Pepsin proteolysis at pH approximately 4 resulted in a lowering of the (pseudo)peroxidase activity of metmyoglobin both at physiological pH and at meat pH, as measured by a peroxidase assay with H(2)O(2) and ABTS as substrates. In contrast, the mildly proteolyzed myoglobin had a strongly enhanced prooxidative effect on lipid oxidation in an oil in water methyl linoleate emulsion compared to native metmyoglobin, as evidenced by rates of oxygen depletion. More severe proteolysis of metmyoglobin at lower pH values near the optimum for pepsin did not result in a similar enhancement of prooxidative activity. The mildly proteolyzed metmyoglobin had spectral characteristics in agreement with a relative stabilization of the iron(II) state. On the basis of the observed effects of metal chelators, of lipophilic and hydrophilic peroxides and of radical scavengers on oxygen depletion rates, it is suggested that the increased prooxidative effect is due to radicals formed by cleavage of lipid peroxides by iron(II)/iron(III) cycling of a heme pigment with affinity for the lipid/water interface.