Effect of saccharide structure and size on the degree of substitution and product dispersity of α-lactalbumin glycated via the Maillard reaction

Identification of heavily glycated proteoforms by hydrophilic-interaction liquid chromatography and native size-exclusion chromatography - High-resolution mass spectrometry

BACKGROUND

The non-enzymatic glycation of proteins and their advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are associated with protein transformations such as in the development of diseases and biopharmaceutical storage. The characterization of heavily glycated proteins at the intact level is of high interest as it allows to describe co-occurring protein modifications. However, the high heterogeneity of glycated protein makes this process challenging, and novel methods are required to accomplish this.

RESULTS

In this study, we investigated two novel LC-HRMS methods to study glycated reference proteins at the intact protein level: low-flow hydrophilic-interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) and native size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). Model proteins were exposed to conditions that favored extensive glycation and the formation of AGEs. After glycation, complicated MS spectra were observed, along with a sharply reduced signal response, possibly due to protein denaturation and the formation of aggregates. When using HILIC-MS, the glycated forms of the proteins could be resolved based on the number of reducing monosaccharides. Moreover, some positional glycated isomers were separated. The SEC-MS method under non-denaturing conditions provided insights into glycated aggregates but offered only a limited separation of glycated species based on molar mass. Overall, more than 25 different types of species were observed in both methods, differing in molar mass by 14-162 Da. 19 of these species have not been previously reported.

SIGNIFICANCE

The proposed strategies show great potential to characterize highly glycated intact proteins from native and denaturing perspectives and provide new opportunities for fast clinical diagnoses and investigating glycation-related diseases.

Characterization and emulsifying ability evaluation of whey protein-pectin conjugates formed by glycosylation

Glycosylation is a method that enhances the functional properties of proteins by covalently attaching sugars to them. This study aimed at preparing three conjugates (WP-HG, WP-SBP, and WP-RGI) by dry heating method to research the influence of different pectin structures on the functional properties of WP and characterize properties and structures of these conjugates. The research results manifested that the degree of glycosylation (DG) of HG, SBP and RGI were 13.13 % ± 0.07 %, 23.27 % ± 0.3 % and 36.39 % ± 0.3 % respectively, suggesting that the increase of the number of branch chains promoted the glycosylation reaction. The formation of the conjugate was identified by the FT-IR spectroscopy technique. And SEM showed that WP could covalently bind to pectin, resulting in a smoother and denser surface of the conjugates. The circular dichroism analysis exhibited that the glycosylation reaction altered the secondary structure of WP and decreased the α-Helix content. This structural change in the protein spatial conformation led to a decrease in the hydrophobicity of protein surface. But the addition of pectin further regulated the hydrophilic-hydrophobic ratio on the surface of the protein, thus improving the emulsification properties of WP. In addition, the glycosylation could improve the stability of the emulsion, giving it a smaller droplet size, higher Zeta-potential and more stable properties. In a word, this study pointed out the direction for the application of different pectin structures in the development of functional properties of glycosylation products in food ingredients.

The decrease of Ara h 2 allergenicity by glycation is determined by reducing sugar chain length and isomers

The mechanism of the effect of reducing sugar chain length and isomers on the allergenicity of Ara h 2 after glycation was investigated. Ara h 2 was more prone to glycation with ribose which had a short chain length. The glycation sites of Ara h 2 after glycation with galactose were higher than the glycation sites in galactose's isomers-Ara h 2 conjugates, which might be affected by the configuration differences at position C-4 and the small steric effects in terminal groups -CHO of galactose. Ara h 2-ribose conjugate had the lowest allergenicity, and glycation with galactose was more capable of reducing Ara h 2 allergenicity than its isomers. The results indicated that glycation with ribose caused conformational epitope destruction and linear epitope masking of Ara h 2 greatly. Furthermore, since the small steric effects of -CHO, galactose was more capable of reducing Ara h 2 allergenicity than fructose. This study will provide a theoretical basis for selecting appropriate reducing sugars and preparing hypoallergenic products containing peanuts.

Glycation with uronic acid-type reducing sugar enhances the anti-inflammatory activity of fish myofibrillar protein via the Maillard reaction

The role of carboxyl group in uronic acid in enhancing the anti-inflammatory activity of fish myofibrillar protein (Mf) was investigated, when lyophilized Mf was reacted with various reducing sugars at 60 °C and 35% relative humidity through the Maillard reaction. After pepsin and trypsin digestion, the anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by measuring the secretions of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, interleukin-1β, and nitric oxide in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage. The anti-inflammatory activity of Mf was not affected by glycation with glucose or galactose, whereas strongly enhanced by glycation with uronic acid-type reducing sugars: glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, and alginate oligosaccharide. These results indicate that the presence of carboxyl group in reducing sugar is important for enhancing the anti-inflammatory activity of Mf. This study also shows that the enhanced effect could depend upon the number of carboxyl group in bound reducing sugar.

Transglutaminase-Catalyzed Glycosylation Improved Physicochemical and Functional Properties of Lentinus edodes Protein Fraction

Lentinula edodes has high nutritional value and abundant protein. In order to develop and utilize edible mushroom protein, this study was designed to investigate the effects of TGase-catalyzed glycosylation and cross-linking on the physicochemical and functional properties of Lentinus edodes protein fraction. The results showed that within a certain time, glycosylation and TGase-catalyzed glycosylation decreased the total sulfydryl, free sulfydryl, disulfide bond, surface hydrophobicity, β-fold and α-helix, but increased the fluorescence intensity, random coil, β-turn, particle size and thermal stability. The apparent viscosity and the shear stress of the protein with an increase in shear rate were increased, indicating that TGase-catalyzed glycosylation promoted the generation of cross-linked polymers. In addition, the TGase-catalyzed glycosylated proteins showed a compact texture structure similar to the glycosylated proteins at the beginning, indicating that they formed a stable three-dimensional network structure. The flaky structure of proteins became more and more obvious with time. Moreover, the solubility, emulsification, stability and oil-holding capacity of enzymatic glycosylated Lentinus edodes protein fraction were significantly improved because of the proper TGase effects of glycosylation grafting and cross-linking. These results showed that glycosylation and TGase-catalyzed glycosylation could improve the processing characteristics of the Lentinula edodes protein fraction to varying degrees.

Modification of Ovalbumin by Maillard Reaction: Effect of Heating Temperature and Different Monosaccharides

Glycosylation is considered to be an effective way to improve the performance of protein emulsification. This study focused on the effects of the molecular structure and emulsifying properties of ovalbumin (OVA) by wet heating Maillard reaction with three types of monosaccharides (i.e., xylose, glucose, and galactose). Results showed that increasing reaction temperature from 55°C to 95°C could significantly improve the degree of grafting (DG), while glycosylated OVA conjugate with xylose at 95°C processed the highest DG of 28.46%. This reaction was further confirmed by the browning intensity determination. Analysis of Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer, circular dichroism, and fluorescence spectra indicated that there were slight changes in the subunits and the conversion of α-helices to β-sheets, as well as the unfolded structures, thereby increasing the surface hydrophobicity and absolute zeta potential of obtained glycosylated OVA. Glycosylation endowed OVA with better emulsifying properties, especially the xylose glycosylated OVA was superior to that of glucose and galactose glycosylated OVA, which was mainly due to its shorter molecular chains with smaller steric hindrance for reaction. Furthermore, the enhancement of emulsifying properties may be attributed to the synergistic effect of stronger electrostatic repulsion of larger absolute zeta potential and the steric hindrance from thicker adsorbed layer, thereby inhibiting aggregation and flocculation of emulsion droplet.

Physicochemical properties of whey protein isolate and alkaline soluble polysaccharide from sugar beet pulp conjugates formed by Maillard reaction and genipin crosslinking reaction: A comparison study

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Emulsifying activity of ASP2 was obviously improved by graftingwith WPI.

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ASP2 self-crosslinking could be excuted by both maillard reaction and genipin crosslinking reaction.

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WPI linked with carbonyl group contributed more efficiency to emulsifying activity of PPC than linked with amino group of ASP2.

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Calcium bridge effect could not be efficiently inhibited by grafting ASP2 with WPI.

This study aim to investigate the effect of alkaline soluble polysaccharide from sugar beet pulp (ASP2) grafted with whey protein isolate (WPI) by two linking models (grafting on amino group or carbonyl group) on its emulsifying properties. Results demonstrated that the d_4,3 value of WPI, M−AW, M−AA, G-AW and G-AA stabilized emulsions was 0.18 μm, 0.28 μm, 0.72 μm, 0.56 μm and 0.83 μm, respectively, suggesting the higher emulsifying activity of the products prepared by Maillard reaction compared with the products obtained from genipin crosslinking reaction. After storage, the d_4,3 increment was 1.05 μm, 0.21 μm, 0.31 μm, 0.2 μm and 0.15 μm for WPI, M−AW, M−AA, G-AW and G-AA stabilized emulsions, respectively, indicating that the new generated polymers held stronger emulsifying stability compared with WPI. However, the aggregates emerged in high calcium emulsions system indicated that grafting with WPI could not efficiently reduce the sensitivity of ASP2 to calcium.

Glycation of Plant Proteins Via Maillard Reaction: Reaction Chemistry, Technofunctional Properties, and Potential Food Application

Plant proteins are being considered to become the most important protein source of the future, and to do so, they must be able to replace the animal-derived proteins currently in use as techno-functional food ingredients. This poses challenges because plant proteins are oftentimes storage proteins with a high molecular weight and low water solubility. One promising approach to overcome these limitations is the glycation of plant proteins. The covalent bonding between the proteins and different carbohydrates created via the initial stage of the Maillard reaction can improve the techno-functional characteristics of these proteins without the involvement of potentially toxic chemicals. However, compared to studies with animal-derived proteins, glycation studies on plant proteins are currently still underrepresented in literature. This review provides an overview of the existing studies on the glycation of the major groups of plant proteins with different carbohydrates using different preparation methods. Emphasis is put on the reaction conditions used for glycation as well as the modifications to physicochemical properties and techno-functionality. Different applications of these glycated plant proteins in emulsions, foams, films, and encapsulation systems are introduced. Another focus lies on the reaction chemistry of the Maillard reaction and ways to harness it for controlled glycation and to limit the formation of undesired advanced glycation products. Finally, challenges related to the controlled glycation of plant proteins to improve their properties are discussed.

Thermally-Induced Lactosylation of Whey Proteins: Identification and Synthesis of Lactosylated β-lactoglobulin Epitope

The high temperatures used in the production of milk may induce modifications in proteins structure. Due to occurrence of the Maillard reaction, lactose binds lysine residues in proteins, affecting the nutritional value. Milk is also an important source of allergenic proteins (i.e., caseins, β-lactoglobulin and α-lactalbumin). Thus, this modification may also affect the allergenicity of these proteins. Focusing on milk whey proteins, a screening on different Ultra High Temperatures (UHT) and pasteurized milk samples was performed to identify lactosylation sites, in particular in protein known epitopes, and to verify the correlation between lactosylation and the harshness of the treatment. Whey proteins were extracted from milk samples after caseins precipitations at pH 4.6 and, after chymotryptic and tryptic in solution digestion, peptides were analysed by UPLC-MS and LTQ-Orbitrap. Results show the presence of lactosylated lysine residues in several known epitopes. Then, a β-lactoglobulin epitope was selected and synthesized by solid phase synthesis followed by in solution lactosylation, obtaining high reaction yields and purities. The synthesis of lactosylated allergenic epitopes, described here for the first time, is a useful tool for further studies on the technological impacts on food allergenicity.

Observation of the structural changes of α-lactalbumin induced by ultrasonic prior to glycated modification

Bovine α-lactalbumin (BLA) was treated by ultrasonic at 150 W/cm² for different times and subsequently glycated with mannose by dry-heating. Molecular weight, intrinsic fluorescence spectra, glycation sites and degree of modified BLA were observed. The proteinaceous high molecular weight components were formed after ultrasonic prior to glycated modification, while the conformational changes were obvious. Prior to ultrasonic pretreatment, K62, K114, and K122 of BLA were identified. After treated by ultrasound at 150 W/cm² for 5, 10, 15, and 20 min, the sites were increased to four, four, five, and five, respectively. All glycated sites of modified BLA exhibited a higher degree of substitution per peptide (DSP) values compared to native BLA. Ultrasonic at 150 W/cm² for 20 min revealed the most significant change in the BLA structure. Therefore, conformational changes, the intensified glycation site, and DSP value were responsible for the structural changes of BLA. Practical applications BLA is suitable as an ingredient for infant nutrition in food, and has immune-modulating, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antitumor activity etc. This study revealed that the structural changes of BLA induced by ultrasonic prior to glycated modification. It will be beneficial to understand the mechanism of the functional changes of modified BLA. Ultrasonic prior to glycated modification will be more likely to develop a practical technology to modify protein in the food industry, and improve the functional characteristics of food, such as produce hypo-allergenic cow's milk in future.

Maillard induced aggregation of individual milk proteins and interactions involved

The aggregation of α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin and β-casein after heating in dry state was studied in absence and presence of saccharides. In absence of saccharides, differences were observed in the extent of aggregation. Differences between the proteins were mostly due to differences in covalent aggregation. The presence of glucose during the heat treatment of milk proteins significantly increased the extent of aggregation, and decreased differences between proteins. α-Lactalbumin was selected as a model protein for the study of cross-links formed after heat treatment. In the presence of saccharides, these cross-links were found to consist of 36% of disulphide bridges (compared to >75% in the absence of glucose), followed by other cross-links such as lanthionine. Larger saccharides led to a decrease in Maillard induced aggregation; maltotriose actually even inhibited the formation of α-lactalbumin aggregates.

Glycation of whey proteins: Technological and nutritional implications

Whey proteins are globular proteins that have received much attention due to their high nutritional value and characteristic functional properties. In addition to being part of the protein system in milk, they constitute the main proteins in whey and whey protein products. Interaction of whey proteins with reducing sugars and carbohydrates via Maillard reaction have been extensively studied in milk and in model systems. Glycation of individual whey proteins results in variable increases in their solubility, thermal stability, antioxidant activity, and emulsion and foam stabilization. Limited glycation of whey protein products particularly whey protein isolates (WPI) using polysaccharides has been studied with the aim to produce conjugates with modified functional properties and acceptable sensory properties. An overview is presented here on the effect of glycation on individual whey proteins and whey protein products and the potential uses of the glycated whey proteins.

Implications of the Maillard reaction on bovine alpha-lactalbumin and its proteolysis during in vitro infant digestion

This study investigated the functionality and digestibility of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) of alpha-lactalbumin (α-la), a major whey protein and component of infant formulas. The impact of different carbohydrates (glucose, galactose or galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS)) and heating duration was studied. SDS-PAGE, UV and color measurements monitored reaction extent, which varied between carbohydrates whereby galactose reacted more readily than glucose. Surface hydrophobicity and antioxidant capacity were found to be significantly (p < 0.05) higher following Maillard conjugation, with GOS-based MRPs elevating antioxidant capacity ∼50-fold compared to α-la. In addition, the digestive proteolysis of MRPs was evaluated using an infant in vitro gastro-duodenal model. SDS-PAGE analyses of digesta revealed Maillard conjugation generally increased α-la's susceptibility to proteolysis. Interestingly, GOS-based MRPs presented an optimization challenge, since heating for 12 h delayed proteolysis, while extended heating resulted in the highest susceptibility to proteolysis. Proteomic analyses further demonstrated the differences in enzymatic cleavage patterns and helped identify bioactive peptides rendered bioaccessible during the digestion of α-la or its MRPs. Bioinformatic mining of the proteomic data using PeptideRanker also gave rise to two potentially novel bioactive peptides, FQINNKIW and GINYWLAHKALCS. Finally, antioxidant capacity of luminal contents, measured by DPPH, revealed Maillard conjugation increased the antioxidant capacity of both gastric and duodenal digesta. Overall, this work draws a link between the Maillard reaction, digestive proteolysis and the bioaccessibility of bioactive peptides and antioxidant species in the infant alimentary canal. This could help rationally process infant formulas towards improved nutritional and extra-nutritional benefits.

Hyaluronic acid-serum albumin conjugate-based nanoparticles for targeted cancer therapy

Multiple carcinomas including breast, ovarian, colon, lung and stomach cancer, overexpress the hyaluronic acid (HA) receptor, CD44. Overexpression of CD44 contributes to key cancer processes including tumor invasion, metastasis, recurrence, and chemoresistance. Herein, we devised novel targeted nanoparticles (NPs) for delivery of anticancer chemotherapeutics, comprised of self-assembling Maillard reaction-based conjugates of HA and bovine serum albumin (BSA). HA served as the hydrophilic block, and as the ligand for actively targeting cancer cells overexpressing CD44. We demonstrate that Maillard reaction-based covalent conjugates of BSA-HA self-assemble into NPs, which efficiently entrap hydrophobic cytotoxic drugs including paclitaxel and imidazoacridinones. Furthermore, BSA-HA conjugates stabilized paclitaxel and prevented its aggregation and crystallization. The diameter of the NPs was < 15 nm, thus enabling CD44 receptor-mediated endocytosis. These NPs were selectively internalized by ovarian cancer cells overexpressing CD44, but not by cognate cells lacking this HA receptor. Moreover, free HA abolished the endocytosis of drug-loaded BSA-HA conjugates. Consistently, drug-loaded NPs were markedly more cytotoxic to cancer cells overexpressing CD44 than to cells lacking CD44, due to selective internalization, which could be competitively inhibited by excess free HA. Finally, a CD44-targeted antibody which blocks receptor activity, abolished internalization of drug-loaded NPs. In conclusion, a novel cytotoxic drug-loaded nanomedicine platform has been developed, which is based on natural biocompatible biopolymers, capabale of targeting cancer cells with functional surface expression of CD44.

Impact of the environmental conditions and substrate pre-treatment on whey protein hydrolysis: A review

Proteins in solution are subject to myriad forces stemming from interactions with each other as well as with the solvent media. The role of the environmental conditions, namely pH, temperature, ionic strength remains under-estimated yet it impacts protein conformations and consequently its interaction with, and susceptibility to, the enzyme. Enzymes, being proteins are also amenable to the environmental conditions because they are either activated or denatured depending on the choice of the conditions. Furthermore, enzyme specificity is restricted to a narrow regime of optimal conditions while opportunities outside the optimum conditions remain untapped. In addition, the composition of protein substrate (whether mixed or single purified) have been underestimated in previous studies. In addition, protein pre-treatment methods like heat denaturation prior to hydrolysis is a complex phenomenon whose progression is influenced by the environmental conditions including the presence or absence of sugars like lactose, ionic strength, purity of the protein, and the molecular structure of the mixed proteins particularly presence of free thiol groups. In this review, we revisit protein hydrolysis with a focus on the impact of the hydrolysis environment and show that preference of peptide bonds and/or one protein over another during hydrolysis is driven by the environmental conditions. Likewise, heat-denaturing is a process which is dependent on not only the environment but the presence or absence of other proteins.

Fabrication of epigallocatechin-3-gallate nanocarrier based on glycosylated casein: stability and interaction mechanism

Polyphenols normally have strong binding affinity with proteins, which may lead to protein precipitation. Glycosylation of protein via Maillard reaction in mild condition may inhibit the precipitation. This study prepared nanocomplexes of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and protein, and their stability against environmental stress was investigated. Subsequently, these findings were correlated with the interactions between EGCG and casein. Results showed that glycosylated casein displayed strong encapsulating and retaining capacity to EGCG, and no obvious aggregation or fusion appeared in the concentration range of 0.25-5.00 mg/mL during storage. The in vitro release demonstrated that casein, especially glycosylated casein, could effectively protect EGCG from degradation in alkaline pH and displayed a slow and sustained release in intestinal fluid, which may be attributed to the inhibiting effects of casein binding on the motion freedom of EGCG. Fluorescence quenching spectra demonstrated that the steric hindrance induced by dextran could inhibit the interaction between casein and EGCG. These findings demonstrated that glycosylated casein could be used as a promising and effective nanocarrier for EGCG.

Allergenicity of potato proteins and of their conjugates with galactose, galactooligosaccharides, and galactan in native, heated, and digested forms

The effect of glycation of potato proteins on their immunoreactivity was studied by using a pool of human sera with specific IgE to potato proteins. Patatin conjugates were more immunoreactive than protease inhibitors ones. To better understand this behavior, the changes in patatin structure upon glycation and heat treatment were investigated. Patatin demonstrated an increase in total immunoreactivity when glycated with galactose and galactooligosaccharides. However, galactan conjugation to patatin resulted in a decrease in immunoreactivity by restricting IgE's access to the epitopes. Although the heat treatment resulted in a decrease in patatin's immunoreactivity through aggregation, it was less effective when patatin conjugates were used due to the decrease in aggregation and the secondary structural changes. Upon digestion, native patatin exhibited the largest decrease in immunoreactivity resulting from the disruption of both conformational and sequential epitopes. Patatin conjugates were less digested and had higher IgE-immunoreactivity as compared to the digested patatin.

Effect of glycation on the flocculation behavior of protein-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions

Glycation of proteins by the Maillard reaction is often considered as a method to prevent flocculation of protein-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions. The effect has been suggested, but not proven, to be the result of steric stabilization, and to depend on the molecular mass of the carbohydrate moiety. To test this, the stabilities of emulsions of patatin glycated to the same extent with different mono- and oligosaccharides (xylose, glucose, maltotriose, and maltopentaose) were compared under different conditions (pH and electrolyte concentration). The emulsions with non-modified patatin flocculate under conditions in which the zeta potential is decreased (around the iso-electric point and at high ionic strength). The attachment of monosaccharides (i.e., glucose) did not affect the flocculation behavior. Attachment of maltotriose and maltopentaose (Mw > 500 Da), on the other hand, provided stability against flocculation at the iso-electric point. Since the zeta potential and the interfacial properties of the emulsion droplets are not affected by the attachment of the carbohydrate moieties, this is attributed to steric stabilization. Experimentally, a critical thickness of the adsorbed layer required for steric stabilization against flocculation was found to be 2.29-3.90 nm. The theoretical determination based on the DLVO interactions with an additional steric interaction coincides with the experimental data. Hence, it can be concluded that the differences in stability against pH-induced flocculation are caused by steric interactions.

Effect of Fructose and glucose on glycation of β-lactoglobulin in an intermediate-moisture food model system: analysis by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and data-independent acquisition LC-MS (LC-MS(E))

To evaluate the effect of glucose and fructose on the glycation of β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg) in intermediate-moisture food (IMF), model systems consisting of β-Lg, glucose/fructose/sorbitol, glycerol, and water were established. All systems were stored at 25 and 35 °C for 2 months. The progress of the Maillard reaction and the mass change of β-Lg were investigated by the browning assay and gel electrophoresis, respectively. Meanwhile, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and data-independent acquisition LC-MS (LC-MS(E)) were used to monitor the glycation extent and the glycated sites of β-Lg. The results indicated that glucose had a higher reaction activity of glycation than fructose, but both sugars had similar preference on the glycation site for β-Lg. The ranking order from high to low for the 9 detected glycated sites was L 1, K 91 > K 47 > K 70, K 77, K 83, K 100 > K 75 > K 135 for both sugars.

Cross-linking behavior and foaming properties of bovine α-lactalbumin after glycation with various saccharides

α-Lactalbumin was glycated via the Maillard reaction in the dry state using various mono- and oligosaccharides. The reaction resulted not only in coupling of the saccharides to α-lactalbumin but also in cross-linked proteins. The glycation rate and the extent of cross-link formation were highly dependent on the saccharide used. Glycation by arabinose and xylose led to a very fast protein cross-link formation, whereas glucose showed a relatively low protein cross-linking ability. The stability of foams, created using the various glycated protein samples, depended on the type of saccharide used, the extent of glycation, and possibly the amount of cross-linked protein. Compared to nonmodified α-lactalbumin, glycation with rhamnose and fucose improved foam stability, whereas application of glucose, galacturonic acid, and their oligosaccharides did not exert a clear effect. Mass spectrometric analysis revealed that dehydration of the Amadori products is an indicator of the formation of protein cross-links.