Preparation of the Enzymatic Hydrolysates from Chlorella vulgaris Protein and Assessment of Their Antioxidant Potential Using Caenorhabditis elegans

This study aimed to assess the antioxidant potential of Chlorella vulgaris protein-derived enzymatic hydrolysate using Caenorhabditis elegans . Protein extraction was performed using an alkali solution after complete C. vulgaris swelling and hydrolysis using four commercial proteases (alcalase, neutrase, protamex, and flavourzyme). The results showed that the flavourzyme hydrolysates exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity both in vitro and in vivo. Under the optimum conditions of the enzymatic hydrolysis, the half-maximal effective concentration of the hydrolysates for superoxide and hydroxyl radicals was 0.323 mg/mL and 0.139 mg/mL, respectively. The hydrolysates could significantly extend the lifespan, improve the resistance to methyl viologen-induced oxidative stress, reduce the levels of reactive oxygen species, and enhance the activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase in C. elegans .