Rapid separation of bovine caseins by mass ion exchange chromatography

Transfer of protein from milk to cheese

This report concerns measurement of paracasein in milk and transfer of protein from milk to cheese. In the main experiment, two vats of Cheddar cheese were made from each of 11 lots of milk from one large herd over a period of 7 mo. Exclusion of solutes from moisture in paracasein micelles in milk and cheese was central to estimation of paracasein and to the transfer of protein from milk to cheese and whey. Solute-exclusion by paracasein and its changes during cheesemaking could be visualized by considering paracasein micelles to be a very fine sponge. The sponge excludes solutes, especially the large solutes like whey proteins. The sponge shrinks during cheesemaking and expels solute-free liquid, thereby slightly diluting the whey surrounding the micelles inside the curd. Paracasein N in milk was calculated as the difference between total milk N and rennet whey N, the latter adjusted to its level in milk. Adjustment used appropriate solute-exclusion factors (h) of the protein fractions of whey and 1.08 for paracasein and associated salts. They were combined to give a factor Fpc, which adjusted the level of rennet whey N to its level in milk: 1.001 x (1 - 1.01 x FM/100 - Fpc x pc/100), where FM = fat in milk, pc = estimated paracasein, and 1.001 = dilution of milk by chymosin and CaCl2. The mean Fpc was 3.03. Differences in values were small among different procedures for calculating paracasein, but they are considered to be important because they represent biases, which, in turn, are important in analyses commercially. We conclude that solute exclusion by moisture in paracasein must have decreased during cheesemaking because the ratio of moisture to paracasein in the final cheese was 1.5, much less than the h of 2.6 for serum proteins by paracasein. Release of solute-excluding moisture from paracasein during cooking was likely the reason for lower total N in cheese whey than in the rennet whey in the paracasein analysis. Paracasein, estimated to be in cheese, curd fines, salted whey, and whey during cheddaring, was 98.21, 0.20, 0.25 and 0.19%, respectively, of the paracasein in milk for a total of 98.85% (SD of 22 vats = 0.46); the location of the missing paracasein is not known. On the other hand, recovery of milk N in cheese and wheys was 99.92% (SD = 0.37%). Nitrogen in paracasein and its hydrolysis products in cheese was estimated to be 98.51% of total cheese N. Proteose-peptone from milk appeared not to be included with the paracasein in appreciable amounts. Some was apparently included with denatured serum proteins during Rowland fractionation of whey, perhaps as a coprecipitate. Measured paracasein would include fat globule membrane proteins in milk containing fat, and denatured whey proteins in heated milks. It was concluded that the method of measurement and the associated calculations are integral parts of the definition and quantification of paracasein in milk.

Calcium binding of phosphopeptides derived from hydrolysis of alpha s-casein or beta-casein using immobilized trypsin

Calcium binding to casein phosphopeptides that were derived from alpha s-CN or beta-CN was studied. Purified alpha s-CN or beta-CN was prepared from fresh skim milk using an anion-exchange column. Peptides were prepared by casein hydrolysis using a fluidized bed bioreactor containing 2 ml of immobilized trypsin (activity: 49.4 U/g of beads). The disappearance of intact protein and the appearance of products of low molecular mass were monitored by SDS-PAGE. alpha s-Casein and beta-CN hydrolysates were loaded on an anion-exchange column, followed by stepwise elution with 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.5 M KCl in equilibration buffer to separate the phosphopeptides from the other casein peptides. Protein and P were measured in the elution peaks. Calcium binding to each fraction was determined with a Ca-selective electrode. Electrophoresis showed that intact proteins were hydrolyzed rapidly, and peptides appeared on the gel in greater concentrations as the incubation time increased. The major products were a main band with a molecular mass of 6.2 kDa from beta-CN hydrolysates and a series of bands from 4.0 to 12.8 kDa from alpha s-CN hydrolysate. The greatest yield and concentration of phosphate from beta-CN hydrolysate were found in the peak that eluted with 0.4 M KCl in equilibration buffer and for alpha s-CN in the peak that eluted with 0.1 M KCl. The alpha s-CN phosphopeptides showed greater Ca2+ binding than the phosphopeptides from beta-CN. Separation of casein phosphopeptides using anion exchange was not specific. However, results showed that each peak containing high concentrations of phosphate had Ca(2+)-binding ability. Further characterization of these casein phosphopeptides might result in a Ca-complexing food ingredient.

Isolation, purification, and alteration of some functional groups of major milk proteins: a review

This review covers selected methods of isolation and purification of mainly alpha s-casein, beta-casein, kappa-casein, beta-lactoglobulin, and alpha-lactalbumin. Selected methods of alteration of some functional groups of these proteins also were reviewed. Isolation and purification of milk proteins per se are methods of modifying the individual milk proteins. Gram quantities of these proteins can now be purified in a relatively short time using ion-exchange resins. Due to the prominent use of non-food-grade reagents in the procedures for preparation of these milk proteins, individual proteins are not maximally utilized for the manufacture of food/feed and pharmaceutical products. Therefore, intensive research efforts are needed to obviate the problems associated with underutilization of milk proteins.

A method for isolating beta-casein

A new method was developed for obtaining pure beta-CN. Calcium caseinate (3%) was reconstituted, renneted to form a gel, cooled (4 degrees C) to allow beta-CN dissociation from the caseinate gel, and centrifuged. The supernatant was warmed to 30 degrees C, precipitating pure beta-CN from solution. Large quantities of beta-CN were recovered by scaling-up this procedure, but these beta-CN preparations were less pure than the beta-CN that was prepared on a smaller scale. Chromatography (FPLC) and urea-PAGE showed beta-CN to be the main component in the precipitate. Chymosin, used to form the caseinate gel, did not extensively hydrolyze beta-CN under the conditions of these experiments. Calcium concentration, cooling time, and caseinate concentration influenced the recovery of beta-CN. Maximum recovery of beta-CN, under the experimental conditions used, occurred at 10 mM calcium, 48 h of cooling, and 3% caseinate concentration.

Review and update of casein chemistry

Of all food proteins, bovine milk proteins are probably the most well characterized chemically, physically, and genetically. The primary structures are known for most genetic variants of alpha s1-, alpha s2-, beta-, and kappa-caseins, beta-lactoglobulin, and alpha-lactalbumin. Secondary and tertiary structures of the whey proteins have been determined, and secondary structures of the caseins have been predicted from spectral studies. The caseins, although less ordered in structure and more flexible than the typical globular whey proteins, have significant amounts of secondary and, probably, tertiary structure. The amphipathic structure of the caseins is especially noteworthy; thus, these proteins most likely are divided into polar and hydrophobic domains. The presence of anionic phosphoseryl residue clusters in the calcium-sensitive casein polar domains is particularly significant because of their interaction with calcium ions, or calcium salts, or both, and the formation of micelles. Flexibility of casein structures is reflected by their susceptibilities to limited proteolysis, which dramatically changes functionality.

Chromatographic and electrophoretic methods used for analysis of milk proteins

Current knowledge of milk proteins and their behavior in dairy foods is based on early applications of chromatography and electrophoresis. Electrophoretic identification of the number and genetic variety of milk proteins inaugurated a research effort in which chromatographic techniques were successfully applied to the isolation of each milk protein, thus facilitating the characterization and further study of milk and dairy products. This review focuses on recent applications of chromatography for separations and analysis and on analytical applications of electrophoresis.