A method for determination of γ-casein and its use for investigating proteolysis in bovine milk

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering-based detection of plasmin activity by specific peptide substrate

In this study, a new surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based method has been developed for the detection of plasmin activity. Firstly, different peptide sequences, which are specific to plasmin, were examined. Then, SERS substrates were prepared by chosen peptide substrate. Enzyme activity was determined by pursuing the reduction of DTNB band at 1331 cm^-1 with Raman spectroscopy. The reduction in SERS intensity was related to the plasmin activity, and changes in SERS intensity vs. plasmin concentration graph was obtained. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values were calculated as 2.14 U/mL and 6.42 U/mL, respectively. Intra- and inter-day repeatability results were determined as 1.45% and 1.47% relative standard deviation (RSD). Also, recovery of the method was determined for the plasmin spiked milk samples. The results demonstrated that the proposed method could be successfully used to detect the plasmin activity in milk samples.

Review: Selected indicators of the quality of thermal processed milk / Revisión: Indicadores seleccionados para el control de calidad de la leche tratada térmicamente

Selected indicators of the quality of processed milk are reviewed in three sections: indices of heat treatment, detection of adulterations and assessment of shelf life. The characterization of the thermal process to which milk was submitted can be achieved by measuring either the formation of new compounds (lactulose, furosine) or the degradation of thermolabile constituents (enzymes, whey proteins). The presence of certain compounds may indicate fraudulent additions committed for eco nomic reasons. Finally, residual or reactivated heat stable enzymes may cause serious storage defects in UHT milk and, therefore, the proteolytic and lipolytic activities and the degree of protein and lipid degradation are useful predictors of the shelf life. Different analytical methods for the determination of the selected quality indicators are also summarized.

Enhancement of proteolysis in bovine skim milk by heat and chemical treatments

Effect of heating and of some chemical treatments on the proteolysis of skim milk caused by its major proteinase system, plasmin, was investigated. Degree of proteolysis was expressed as the increase in γ-casein content of skim milk (mg/ml) after incubation with 0·02% (w/v) NaN3 at 37 °C for 20 h. Apart from reduced proteolysis in skim milk heated at > 70 °C for 10 min or at 75 °C for ∼ 5 min, some enhancement (10–80%) was observed on heating at 55–63 °C for 10 min or at 60–65 °C for 15 s. Heating at pasteurization conditions (63 °C/30 min or 72 °C/15 s) had no apparent effect on the amount of proteolysis. Addition of ascorbic acid (0·2 mg/100 ml) or H2O2 (1/100 ml) to unheated skim milk also increased the amount of proteolysis by 38 and 28%, respectively. However, the extent of this increase diminished with increasing amounts of both chemicals. Furthermore, there was a steady increase (∼ 33%) in proteolysis with time of exposure to light for up to 3 h. These results suggest that oxidative conditions lead skim milk to enhanced proteolysis by inactivating an inhibitor(s) operating in the plasmin system in milk.