Calcium-induced aggregation of bovine caseins: effect of phosphate and citrate

Solubilization of genistein by caseinate micellar system

This study investigates the aggregation behavior of caseinate and the solubilization of genistein in aqueous caseinate solution. The critical aggregation concentration (CAC) of caseinate was obtained from the fluorescence intensity of 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS), which was enhanced by ANS-protein interactions and the hydrophobicity of caseinate. The increasing solubility of genistein in caseinate was confirmed by HPLC measurements; above and below the CAC, the genistein/caseinate molar ratio is 1:1 and 10:1, respectively. The latter ratio indicates that more caseinate molecules surround genistein below the CAC. However, the solubility of genistein in caseinate is unaffected by calcium ions. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) shows that casein sub-micelles are similarly structured in the presence and absence of genistein. In AFM phase images, the caseinate sub-micelle is brightened in the presence of genistein, implying that the particle becomes more rigid, probably because genistein attaches to the surface or to the narrow part of the sub-micelle. The diameter of sub-micelle aggregates is two times that of caseinate alone (24 nm versus 12 nm). These results were confirmed by cryo-TEM observations.

Determination of calcium-binding constants of caseins, phosphoserine, citrate and pyrophosphate: A modelling approach using free calcium measurement

Dairy products contain large amount of calcium which is bound to caseins and different chelating agents like citrate and polyphosphates. The present study aimed to determine the calcium-binding capacities of phosphoserine (SerP), caseinophosphopeptide (CPP), β-casein, caseinate, citrate and pyrophosphate in the same conditions of temperature, pH and ionic strength. The free calcium (Ca(2+)) was measured using a calcium ion-selective electrode and plotted as a function of total calcium concentration. The association constants and the number of calcium-binding sites were determined by fitting the experimental data to a theoretical model. The phosphate groups of caseins were the main binding sites with evidence for participation of carboxylate groups. The intrinsic association constants determined by the best fit of the data were in the order: pyrophosphate (557×10(3)M(-1))>citrate (20×10(3)M(-1))>β-casein (5×10(3)M(-1))>caseinate, CPP and SerP (∼10(3)M(-1)). These findings may be of interest for the development of calcium-enriched products to overcome calcium deficiency in specific populations.