The specificity for κ-casein as the stabilizer of α s -casein and β-casein. I. Replacement of κ-casein by other proteins

The specificity for κ-casein as the stabilizer of αs-casein and β-casein II. Replacement of κ-casein by detergents and water-soluble polymers

The cationic detergent cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), the anionic detergents sodium lauryl sulphate and sodium deoxycholate, and the nonionic detergents Tween 20, Tween 80 and Brij 35, and lecithin, starch, glycogen, chondroitin sulphate and polyethylene glycol, were tested for their ability to replace κ-casein in stabilizing αs- and β-caseins against precipitation by Ca2+. Of the materials tested, CTAB and Tween 20 stabilized both caseins and Brij 35 stabilized only αs-casein. Analytical ultracentrifugation of mixtures of CTAB with each casein and of Brij 35 with αs-casein indicated that both detergents acted by disrupting the casein aggregates and complexing with the monomers. Addition of CaCl2 did not aggregate the Brij 35–αs-casein complex. It is concluded that the basis of the stabilization phenomenon involves specific interactions between κ-casein and αs-casein or β-casein at mainly hydrophobic sites.

On the mechanism of milk clotting by rennin

Two possible hypotheses for the mechanism of milk clotting were tested. The results obtained constituted strong evidence against one and suggested that the second is improbable. Milk was separated into a 5-fold-concentrated casein micelle suspension and milk serum. Pre-renneting of the serum did not reduce the rate of clotting on subsequent addition to the micelle suspension whether or not the conditions were such that the para-κ-casein became extensively aggregated. Washing of casein micelles up to 3 times with milk dialysate at 23°C extracted very little casein from the micelles and did not increase the clotting time of micelles resuspended to about the same concentration as in milk. The results appear to constitute decisive evidence against the hypothesis of milk clotting proposed by Parry & Carroll (1969). S-carboxymethyl-κ-casein, S-carboxymethyl-κ-casein containing 2·5 dimethylaminonaphthalene sulphonyl residues per mole, and rennin-treated dimethylaminonaphthalene sulphonated-S-carboxymethyl-κ-casein all bound Ca to the same extent at 30°C and pH 6·5, over the range 0·5–15·3 mM-CaCl2. This adds support to existing evidence that milk clotting does not involve formation of Ca bridges between casein micelles.

Reversibility of the temperature-dependent opacity of nonfat mozzarella cheese

Salted and unsalted nonfat mozzarella cheese was made by direct acidification and stored at 4 degrees C over 60 d. Changes in cheese opacity were measured by using reflectance L* values while the cheese was heated from 10 to 90 degrees C, then cooled to 10 degrees C, and reheated to 90 degrees C. A characteristic opacity transition temperature (T(OP)) was obtained for each cheese. Both salt content and storage time influenced T(OP). Opacity during heating, cooling, and reheating formed a hysteresis. At d 1, the unsalted cheese became opaque when heated to 20 degrees C, but the salted cheese required heating to 40 degrees C. As the salted cheese was aged, its T(OP) increased so that by 60 d the cheese did not become opaque until it was heated to 70 degrees C.