1H-nuclear magnetic resonance studies on the conformational changes related to the foaming properties of beta-lactoglobulin

Cow's milk allergy: from allergens to new forms of diagnosis, therapy and prevention

The first adverse reactions to cow's milk were already described 2,000 years ago. However, it was only 50 years ago that several groups started with the analysis of cow's milk allergens. Meanwhile the spectrum of allergy eliciting proteins within cow's milk is identified and several cow's milk allergens have been characterized regarding their biochemical properties, fold and IgE binding epitopes. The diagnosis of cow's milk allergy is diverse ranging from fast and cheap in vitro assays to elaborate in vivo assays. Considerable effort was spent to improve the diagnosis from an extract-based into a component resolved concept. There is still no suitable therapy available against cow's milk allergy except avoidance. Therefore research needs to focus on the development of suitable and safe immunotherapies that do not elicit severe side effect.

Milk Powders Ageing: Effect on Physical and Functional Properties

Milk powders are now considered as food ingredients, mainly because of the functional properties of milk proteins. During the storage of milk powders, many physicochemical damages, mainly dependent on lactose glass transition occur. They have important consequences on physical (flowability) and functional properties (solubility, emulsifying, and foaming properties) of milk powders. First, lactose crystallization modifies the microstructure and chemical composition of the surface of powder particles. Thus, milk powders flowability is decreased. Since the structure of milk proteins is destabilized, its solubility is damaged. Moreover, particle collapse and caking occur and mainly decrease the physical properties of milk powders (density and flowability). The mechanical stresses involved may also enhance proteins unfolding, which is detrimental to solubility. Finally, molecular mobility is favored upon ageing, and both chemical (Maillard reaction) and enzymatic reactions occur. Maillard reaction and oxidation enhance protein interactions and aggregations, which mainly lessen milk powders solubility. Maillard reaction also decreases emulsifying and foaming properties. Storage temperature and relative humidity have been considered as the predominant factors involved, but time, milk components, and their physical state also have been implied.

Surface hydrophobicity of physicochemically and enzymatically treated milk proteins in relation to techno-functional properties

Surface hydrophobicity (SH) of milk proteins treated physicochemically (by heating and Maillard reaction) or modified enzymatically (by transglutaminase, lactoperoxidase, laccase, and glucose oxidase) was assessed in relation to their techno-functional properties. Heat-treatment increased SH of whey protein isolate and decreased SH of sodium caseinate and bovine serum albumin. Maillard reaction of milk proteins caused time-depended decreases of SH. Only for total milk protein reacting with glucose and lactose elevated SH-values were detected. Protein modification with transglutaminase, laccase, and lactoperoxidase strongly increased the SH of whey protein isolate and total milk protein. Incubation with glucose oxidase elevated SH values of sodium caseinate, whey protein isolate, and total milk protein. When correlating SH with techno-functional properties, a positive correlation was observed between SH and foam formation, and a negative correlation was observed between SH and foam stability as well as emulsion stability. No clear correlation was detected between SH and emulsifying activity, surface tension, viscosity, and heat stability of enzymatically and physicochemically treated milk proteins.

Resistance of antivenom proteins to foaming-induced denaturation

Reconstitution of lyophilized antivenom is usually accomplished by gentle swirling for sometimes as much as 45min. Gentle resuspension is employed in order to avoid foaming the antivenom, which could have a variety of consequences including unfolding and denaturation of the protein, thus rendering it inactive. However, foaming of antivenom might cause only a small portion of the total protein to unfold or the protein may refold as foaming subsides. In this report, the effects of intentional severe foaming of three antivenom preparations are tested. Samples of gently resuspended antivenoms were subject to severe foaming by mechanical means, then tested for precipitation by examining the amounts of protein remaining in solution, for structural changes by circular dichroism spectroscopy and for activity changes by ELISA. In all cases, either no or minimal changes in antivenom properties were observed. These results indicate that severe intentional foaming does not substantially affect the properties of the antivenoms. It may be possible to employ more vigorous resuspension methods without affecting the efficacy of the antivenom. This could lead to a significant decrease in the time between envenomation and administration of antivenom.

A Recombinant C121S Mutant of Bovine β-Lactoglobulin Is More Susceptible to Peptic Digestion and to Denaturation by Reducing Agents and Heating

The lipocalin beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) is the major whey protein of bovine milk and is homodimeric at physiological conditions. Each monomer contains two disulfide bonds and one cysteine at position 121 (C121). This free thiol plays an important role in the heat-induced aggregation of BLG and, possibly, in its conformational stability. We describe here the expression in the yeast Pichia pastoris of a mutant bovine BLG, in which C121 was changed into Ser (C121S). Circular dichroism and high-performance liquid chromatography experiments, together with the X-ray crystal structure, show that the C121S mutant retains a nativelike fold at both neutral and acid pH. The mutation completely blocks the irreversible aggregation induced by heat treatment at 90 degrees C. Compared to the recombinant wild-type protein, the mutant is less stable to temperature and disulfide reducing agents and is much more sensitive to peptic digestion. Moreover, its affinity for 1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate is increased at neutral and acid pH. We suggest that the stability of the protein arising from the hydrophobic effect is reduced by the C121S mutation so that unfolded or partially unfolded states are more favored.