Contribution of mass spectrometry to assess quality of milk-based products

Analysis of milk with liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry: a review

As a widely consumed foodstuff, milk and dairy products are increasingly studied over the years. At the present time, milk profiling is used as a benchmark to assess the properties of milk. Modern biomolecular mass spectrometers have become invaluable to fully characterize the milk composition. This review reports the analysis of milk and its components using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC–MS). LC–MS analysis as a whole will be discussed subdivided into the major constituents of milk, namely, lipids, proteins, sugars and the mineral fraction.

Biomolecular Profiling by MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry in Food and Beverage Analyses

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has frequently been applied to the analysis of biomolecules. Its strength resides not only in compound identification but particularly in acquiring molecular profiles providing a high discriminating power. The main advantages include its speed, simplicity, versatility, minimum sample preparation needs, and a relatively high tolerance to salts. Other benefits are represented by the possibility of automation, high throughput, sensitivity, accuracy, and good reproducibility, allowing quantitative studies. This review deals with the prominent use of MALDI-TOF MS profiling in food and beverage analysis ranging from the simple detection of sample constituents to quantifications of marker compounds, quality control, and assessment of product authenticity. This review summarizes relevant discoveries that have been obtained with milk and milk products, edible oils, wine, beer, flour, meat, honey, and other alimentary products. Marker molecules are specified: proteins and peptides for milk, cheeses, flour, meat, wine and beer; triacylglycerols and phospholipids for oils; and low-molecular-weight metabolites for wine, beer and chocolate. Special attention is paid to sample preparation techniques and the combination of spectral profiling and statistical evaluation methods, which is powerful for the differentiation of samples and the sensitive detection of frauds and adulterations.

Profiling of Low-Molecular-Weight Carbonyls and Protein Modifications in Flavored Milk

Thermal treatments of dairy products favor oxidations, Maillard reactions, and the formation of sugar or lipid oxidation products. Additives including flavorings might enhance these reactions or even induce further reactions. Here we aimed to characterize protein modifications in four flavored milk drinks using samples along the production chain—raw milk, pasteurization, mixing with flavorings, heat treatment, and the commercial product. Therefore, milk samples were analyzed using a bottom up proteomics approach and a combination of data-independent (MS^E) and data-dependent acquisition methods (DDA). Twenty-one small carbonylated lipids were identified by shotgun lipidomics triggering 13 protein modifications. Additionally, two Amadori products, 12 advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and 12 oxidation-related modifications were targeted at the protein level. The most common modifications were lactosylation, formylation, and carboxymethylation. The numbers and distribution of modification sites present in raw milk remained stable after pasteurization and mixing with flavorings, while the final heat treatment significantly increased lactosylation and hexosylation in qualitative and quantitative terms. The processing steps did not significantly affect the numbers of AGE-modified, oxidized/carbonylated, and lipid-carbonylated sites in proteins.

Diversity of advanced glycation end products in the bovine milk proteome

Milk processing relies on thermal treatments warranting microbiologically safe products with extended shelf life. However, elevated temperatures favor also Maillard reactions yielding the structurally diverse advanced glycation end products (AGEs). AGEs may alter protein functions and immunogenicity and also decrease the nutritional value of milk products. Furthermore, dietary AGEs contribute to the circulating AGE pool with potentially harmful effects. Here, 14 types of protein-derived AGEs present in raw milk or produced during processing/storage of regular and lactose-free milk products were identified by nanoRP-UPLC-ESI-MS/MS. In total, 132 peptides (118 modification sites in 62 proteins) were modified by at least one studied AGE. Amide-AGEs were the most abundant group with formyllysine being the main type. Most lysine- and arginine-derived AGEs and their modification sites have not been reported before. The number of AGE modification sites increased with the harsher processing conditions of regular milk, but remained stable during storage. This was further supported by quantitative data.

Bacterial Microbiota and Metabolic Character of Traditional Sour Cream and Butter in Buryatia, Russia

Traditional sour cream and butter are widely popular fermented dairy products in Russia for their flavor and nutrition, and contain rich microbial biodiversity, particularly in terms of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). However, few studies have described the microbial communities and metabolic character of traditional sour cream and butter. The objective of this study was to determine the bacterial microbiota and metabolic character of eight samples collected from herdsmen in Buryatia, Russia. Using single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing techniques, we identified a total of 294 species and/or subspecies in 169 bacterial genera, belonging to 14 phyla. The dominant phylum was Firmicutes (81.47%) and the dominant genus was Lactococcus (59.28%). There were differences between the bacterial compositions of the sour cream and butter samples. The relative abundances of Lactococcus lactis, Lactococcus raffinolactis, and Acetobacter cibinongensis were significantly higher in sour cream than in butter, and the abundance of Streptococcusthermophilus was significantly lower in sour cream than in butter. Using a pure culture method, 48 strains were isolated and identified to represent seven genera and 15 species and/or subspecies. Among these isolates, Lactococccus lactis subsp. lactis (22.50%) was the dominant LAB species. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole–time of flight mass spectrometry at elevated energy was used in combination with statistical methods to detect metabolite differences between traditional sour cream and butter. A total of 27,822 metabolites were detected in all samples, and Lys-Lys, isohexanal, palmitic acid, Leu-Val, and 2′-deoxycytidine were the most dominant metabolites found in all samples. In addition, 27 significantly different metabolites were detected between the sour cream and butter samples, including short peptides, organic acids, and amino acids. Based on correlation analyses between the most prevalent bacterial species and the main metabolites in sour cream, we conclude that there may be a connection between the dominant LAB species and these metabolites. This study combined omics techniques to analyze the bacterial diversity and metabolic character of traditional sour cream and butter, and we hope that our findings will enrich species resource libraries and provide valuable resources for further research on dairy product flavor.

Protein carbonylation sites in bovine raw milk and processed milk products

During thermal treatment of milk, proteins are oxidized, which may reduce the nutritional value of milk, abolish protein functions supporting human health, especially important for newborns, and yield potentially harmful products. The side chains of several amino acids can be oxidized to reactive carbonyls, which are often used to monitor oxidative stress in organisms. Here we mapped protein carbonylation sites in raw milk and different brands of pasteurized, ultra high temperature (UHT) treated milk, and infant formulas (IFs) after digesting the precipitated proteins with trypsin. Reactive carbonyls were derivatized with O-(biotinylcarbazoylmethyl)hydroxylamine to enrich the modified peptides by avidin-biotin affinity chromatography and analyze them by nanoRP-UPLC-ESI-MS. Overall, 53 unique carbonylated peptides (37 carbonylation sites, 15 proteins) were identified. Most carbonyls were derived from dicarbonyls (mainly glyoxal). The number of carbonylation sites increased with the harsher processing from raw milk (4) to pasteurized (16) and UHT milk (16) and to IF (24).

Rapid Analysis Procedures for Triglycerides and Fatty Acids as Pentyl and Phenethyl Esters for the Detection of Butter Adulteration Using Chromatographic Techniques

This paper presents the development of three methods for quality control, fraud detection, and authentication of butter fat and other oils/fats using chromatographic techniques, with one method for triglycerides and two methods for fatty acids (FAs). The procedure for the analysis of triglycerides requires only dissolution of the sample inn-hexane and gas chromatography (GC) analysis using a capillary column. The second method is based on the transesterification of triglycerides as pentyl esters in a single-step reaction using sodium pentanoate in pentanol. The reaction proceeds at room temperature and is similar to the potassium hydroxide-catalysed transesterification of triglycerides with methanol and even more similar to the sodium methoxide method and sodium butanoate method. The advantage of using pentyl esters includes reducing the volatility of short-chain FAs, and substantial recoveries were obtained compared with methyl ester analysis. The third method involves the transesterification of triglycerides in fat through reaction with 2-phenylethanol in a single step; 2-phenylethanol possesses a chromophore, and the phenethyl esters formed are analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection.

Identification and quantification of bovine protein lactosylation sites in different milk products

The microbiological safety of milk is typically guaranteed by thermal treatments, such as pasteurization and ultra high temperature (UHT) treatment, whereas infant formula (IF) is often produced at even harsher conditions including a drying process. Thermal treatments have raised concerns, as they may denature proteins and initiate protein modifications. Previous studies identified already many lactosylation sites in milk and showed that the lactosylation degree of some proteins correlates to thermal treatment conditions. Here, we studied the glycation degrees of 124 lactosylation sites in 28 bovine milk proteins in raw milk, three brands of pasteurized milk, three brands of UHT milk, and five brands of IF. Whereas, the glycation degree of many lactosylation sites increased from raw milk, to pasteurized milk, UHT milk, and IF, several modification sites showed a different behavior indicating that global measures do not correctly reflect the reactivity of distinct sites. Interestingly, the glycation degrees varied considerably among the brands of UHT milk and IF indicating that specific production processes of a company have to be considered and not only the classification of milk as pasteurized or UHT. Thus, proper adjustments of the technical processes should allow reducing the lactosylation levels in both UHT milk and IF.

SIGNIFICANCE

It is well established that thermal treatment of milk triggers protein modifications, such as lactosylation of lysine residues in several proteins, although the extent of lactosylation has not been quantitatively compared for a broad panel of protein lactosylation sites among different commercial products. The current study extends previous reports by relatively quantifying 124 confirmed lactosylation sites in 28 bovine milk proteins including several low abundant proteins. Whereas, glycation is generally assumed to be an unspecific chemical reaction with the modification degrees depending on the protein and sugar concentrations, we could show that each protein and even each lactosylation site in a given protein is differently affected by thermal processes indicating that the global lactosylation degrees will not allow predicting the influence of a technical process on individual proteins and lactosylation sites. Additionally, we could show that brands of each milk product differ significantly in their glycation degrees with UHT milk brands for example spanning the whole range from the relatively low lactosylation degree of pasteurized milk to the rather high lactosylation degree of IF. Similar differences were obtained for IF that generally showed the highest glycation degree. The targeted quantification approach established and validated here will be useful to reveal technical processing steps that trigger individual lactosylation sites and thus can help to prevent such unwanted reactions. Even slight changes of the technical processes might allow reducing the lactosylation degree of milk proteins significantly without challenging the microbiological safety or affecting consumer behavior.

Proteomic analysis of complex protein samples by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

MALDI MS has become a technique of considerable impact on many fields, from proteomics to lipidomics, including polymer analysis and, more recently, even low molecular weight analytes due to the introduction of matrix-less ionization techniques (e.g., DIOS) or new matrices such as ionic liquids, proton sponges, and metal nanoparticles. However, protein identification by peptide mass fingerprint (PMF) still remains the main routine application. In the last few years, MALDI MS has played an emerging role in food chemistry especially in detection of food adulterations, characterization of food allergens, and investigation of protein structural modifications, induced by various industrial processes that could be detrimental for food quality and safety. Sample handling and pretreatment can be very different depending on the physical state, liquid or solid, of the analyzed matrices. Here, we describe simple protocols for protein extraction and MALDI MS analysis of liquid (milk) and solid (hazelnuts) samples taken as model. A classic approach based on a preliminary SDS gel electrophoresis separation followed by in-gel digestion and a faster approach based on in-solution digestion of whole samples are described and compared.

Comprehensive profiling of carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins in milk from different animal species by LC-DAD-MS/MS hyphenation

This paper describes a novel and efficient analytical method to define the profile of fat-soluble micronutrients in milk from different animal species. Overnight cold saponification was optimized as a simultaneous extraction procedure. Analytes were separated by nonaqueous reversed-phase (NARP) chromatography: carotenoids on a C(30) column and fat-soluble vitamins on a tandem C(18) column system. Besides 12 target analytes for which standards are available (all-trans-lutein, all-trans-zeaxanthin, all-trans-β-cryptoxanthin, all-trans-β-carotene, all-trans-retinol, α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, δ-tocopherol, ergocalciferol, cholecalciferol, phylloquinone, and menaquinone-4), the DAD-MS combined detection allowed the provisional identification of other carotenoids on the basis of the expected retention times, the absorbance spectra, and the mass spectrometric data. Retinol and α-tocopherol were the most abundant fat-soluble micronutrients and the only ones found in donkey's milk along with γ-tocopherol. Ewe's milk also proved to be a good source of vitamin K vitamers. Bovine milk showed a large variety of carotenoids that were absent in milk samples from other species with the only exception of all-trans-lutein and all-trans-zeaxanthin.

Infrared laser ablation sample transfer for MALDI and electrospray

We have used an infrared laser to ablate materials under ambient conditions that were captured in solvent droplets. The droplets were either deposited on a MALDI target for off-line analysis by MALDI time-of-flight mass spectrometry or flow-injected into a nanoelectrospray source of an ion trap mass spectrometer. An infrared optical parametric oscillator (OPO) laser system at 2.94 μm wavelength and approximately 1 mJ pulse energy was focused onto samples for ablation at atmospheric pressure. The ablated material was captured in a solvent droplet 1-2 mm in diameter that was suspended from a silica capillary a few millimeters above the sample target. Once the sample was transferred to the droplet by ablation, the droplet was deposited on a MALDI target. A saturated matrix solution was added to the deposited sample, or in some cases, the suspended capture droplet contained the matrix. Peptide and protein standards were used to assess the effects of the number of IR laser ablation shots, sample to droplet distance, capture droplet size, droplet solvent, and laser pulse energy. Droplet collected samples were also injected into a nanoelectrospray source of an ion trap mass spectrometer with a 500 nL injection loop. It is estimated that pmol quantities of material were transferred to the droplet with an efficiency of approximately 1%. The direct analysis of biological fluids for off-line MALDI and electrospray was demonstrated with blood, milk, and egg. The implications of this IR ablation sample transfer approach for ambient imaging are discussed.

Review: multistage mass spectrometry in quality, safety and origin of foods

Quality and safety control and the validation of origin are hot issues in the production of food and its distribution, and are of primary concern to food and agriculture organization. Modern mass spectrometry (MS) provides unique, reliable and affordable methodologies to approach with a high degree of scientificity any problem which may be posed in this field. In this review the contribution of mass spectrometry to food analysis is presented aiming at providing clues on the fundamental role of the basic principles of gas-phase ion chemistry in applied research fields. Applications in proteomics, allergonomics, glycomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, food safety and traceability have been surveyed. The high level of specificity and sensitivity of the MS approach allows the characterization of food components and contaminants present at ultra-trace levels, providing a distinctive and safe validation of the products.

Proteomics in nutrition: status quo and outlook for biomarkers and bioactives

Food and beverages are the only physical matter we take into our body, if we disregard the air we inhale and the drugs we may have to apply. While traditional nutrition research has aimed at providing nutrients to nourish populations and preventing specific nutrient deficiencies, it more recently explores health-related aspects of individual bioactive components as well as entire diets and this at group rather than population level. The new era of nutrition research translates empirical knowledge to evidence-based molecular science. Modern nutrition research focuses on promoting health, preventing or delaying the onset of disease, optimizing performance, and assessing risk. Personalized nutrition is a conceptual analogue to personalized medicine and means adapting food to individual needs. Nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics build the science foundation for understanding human variability in preferences, requirements, and responses to diet and may become the future tools for consumer assessment motivated by personalized nutritional counseling for health maintenance and disease prevention. The scope of this paper is to review the current and future aspects of nutritional proteomics, focusing on the two main outputs: identification of health biomarkers and analysis of food bioactives.

The bovine milk proteome: cherishing, nourishing and fostering molecular complexity. An interactomics and functional overview

Bovine milk represents an essential source of nutrients for lactating calves and a key raw material for human food preparations. A wealth of data are present in the literature dealing with massive proteomic analyses of milk fractions and independent targeted studies on specific groups of proteins, such as caseins, globulins, hormones and cytokines. In this study, we merged data from previous investigations to compile an exhaustive list of 573 non-redundant annotated protein entries. This inventory was exploited for integrated in silico studies, including functional GO term enrichment (FatiGO/Babelomics), multiple pathway and network analyses. As expected, most of the milk proteins were grouped under pathways/networks/ontologies referring to nutrient transport, lipid metabolism and objectification of the immune system response. Notably enough, another functional family was observed as the most statistically significant one, which included proteins involved in the induction of cellular proliferation processes as well as in anatomical and haematological system development. Although the latter function for bovine milk proteins has long been postulated, studies reported so far mainly focused on a handful of molecules and missed the whole overview resulting from an integrated holistic analysis. A preliminary map of the bovine milk proteins interactome was also built up, which will be refined in future as result of the widespread use of quantitative methods in protein interaction studies and consequent reduction of false-positives within associated databases.

Formation of N(epsilon)-(carboxymethyl)lysine and loss of lysine in casein glucose-fatty acid model systems

Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and advanced lipoxidation end-products (ALEs) form when proteins are heated with reducing sugar or lipid. N(epsilon)-(Carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) is the most commonly studied AGE/ALE in foods, but the relative importance of dietary sugar and lipid as its precursors is uncertain. The aim of this study was to determine the relative amounts of CML formed from fatty acid and glucose in a model food system. Model systems were prepared by heating casein (3.2%) with glucose or fatty acid (oleic, linoleic, linolenic, or arachidonic acid) (200 mM) or a mixture of glucose and linolenic acid (200 mM of each precursor) at 95 degrees C for up to 8 h. CML was determined by ultrapressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The amount of CML formed from casein and glucose incubated at 95 degrees C for 8 h was 15-fold higher than that obtained when casein was heated with arachidonic acid under the same conditions. However, the loss of lysine in the casein-arachidonic acid incubations was 83% compared to 54% loss in the casein-glucose incubations. The loss of lysine in casein-fatty acid model systems increased with degree of unsaturation of the fatty acid. The formation of lipid peroxidation products during oxidation of fatty acids might be a potent factor for loss of lysine in the casein-fatty acid systems.

Use of FTIR and mass spectrometry for characterization of glycated caseins

This study investigates the potential of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to monitor glycation-induced changes in protein structure. Aqueous solutions of sodium caseinate and glucose (1:2 w/w, pH 6·7) were heated at 90°C for 0, 10, 20, 40 and 60 min. Evidence for caseinate glycation was obtained by mass spectrometry techniques (electrospray (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation (MALDI)). FTIR was able to discriminate between glycated and non-glycated sodium caseinate, when the data were analysed by multivariate statistical methods; principal component analysis (PCA) and soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA). The techniques used were complementary and provided different levels of information about the glycated samples.

A proteomic characterization of water buffalo milk fractions describing PTM of major species and the identification of minor components involved in nutrient delivery and defense against pathogens

Water buffalo has been studied in relation to the exclusive use of its milk for the manufacture of high-quality dairy products. Buffalo milk presents physicochemical features different from that of other ruminant species, such as a higher content of fatty acids and proteins. We report here a detailed proteomic analysis of buffalo skim milk, whey and milk fat globule membrane fractions. Notwithstanding the poor information available on buffalo genome, identification of protein isoforms corresponding to 72 genes was achieved by a combined approach based on 2-DE/MALDI-TOF PMF and 1-DE/muLC-ESI-IT-MS-MS. Major protein components, i.e. alpha(Sl)-, alpha(S2)-, beta-, kappa-caseins, alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactoglobulin, were characterized for PTM, providing a scientific basis to coagulation/cheese making processes used in dairy productions. Minor proteins detected emphasized the multiple functions of milk, which besides affording nutrition to the newborn through its major components, also promotes development and digestive tract protection in the neonate, and ensures optimal mammary gland function in the mother. Defense against pathogens is guaranteed by an arsenal of antimicrobial/immunomodulatory proteins, which are directly released in milk or occur on the surface of secreted milk-lipid droplets. Proteins associated with cell signaling or membrane/protein trafficking functions were also identified, providing putative insights into major secretory pathways in mammary epithelial cells.

Identification and site-specific relative quantification of beta-lactoglobulin modifications in heated milk and dairy products

During milk processing, proteins can be severely modified by oxidation, condensation, and Maillard reaction, leading to changes in their nutritional and technological properties. In this study, major modifications of beta-lactoglobulin, formed during the heating and processing of milk, were screened by mass spectrometry. For this purpose, beta-lactoglobulin was isolated from the milk samples by gel electrophoresis and analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry after in-gel digestion with endoproteinase AspN. In heated milk, lactulosyllysine was detected at lysine 47 and 138 or 141 as well as methionine sulfoxide at methionine 7, 24, and 145. All these modifications increased gradually when raw milk was heated for 20, 40, and 60 min at 120 degrees C. The major modifications were also relatively quantified in dairy products, such as raw, high-temperature, ultra-high-temperature, sterilized, and condensed milk as well as infant formulas. The highest contents of lactulosyllysine at Lys47 were detected in powdered infant formulas, whereas lactulosyllysine at Lys138/141 was predominant in condensed milk samples. Methionine sulfoxide at Met7 and Met24 showed a trend toward higher modification rates in more severely processed products.

Mass spectrometry in nutrition: understanding dietary health effects at the molecular level

In modern nutrition research, mass spectrometry has developed into a tool to assess health, sensory as well as quality and safety aspects of food. In this review, we focus on health-related benefits of food components and, accordingly, on biomarkers of exposure (bioavailability) and bioefficacy. Current nutrition research focuses on unraveling the link between dietary patterns, individual foods or food constituents and the physiological effects at cellular, tissue and whole body level after acute and chronic uptake. The bioavailability of bioactive food constituents as well as dose-effect correlations are key information to understand the impact of food on defined health outcomes. Both strongly depend on appropriate analytical tools to identify and quantify minute amounts of individual compounds in highly complex matrices--food or biological fluids--and to monitor molecular changes in the body in a highly specific and sensitive manner. Based on these requirements, mass spectrometry has become the analytical method of choice with broad applications throughout all areas of nutrition research. The current review focuses on selected areas of application: protein and peptide as well as nutrient and metabolite analysis.