Trypsin Inhibitor Assay: Expressing,Calculating, and Standardizing Inhibitor Activity in Absolute Amounts of Trypsin Inhibited or Trypsin Inhibitors

For expressing trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA), trypsin units inhibited (TUI), trypsin inhibited, and trypsin inhibitors have been used. Although the last two units are preferred, their calculations in current practices require refinement. With the proposed AOCS method Ba 12a-2020, four experiments were conducted, using four trypsin preparations having specific activity of 11,625, 12,602, 13,728, and 14,926 Nα-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester (BAEE) units/mg protein, respectively. Experiment 1 determined the relationship between absorbance at 410 nm (A410) and trypsin concentration. Experiment 2 involved assaying raw and heated soybeans, expressing TIA as TUI/mg sample and μg trypsin inhibited/mg sample, and determining conversion factors between the two units. Experiment 3 resembled Experiment 2 except for using purified soybean Kunitz inhibitor (KTI) and Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI). Conversion factors determined correlated highly with trypsin-specific activity (R² = 0.9789). After standardizing against a reference trypsin having 15,000 BAEE units/mg protein, a standardized conversion factor of 0.03 A410 (1.5 TUI) = 1 μg trypsin inhibited was determined. It remained consistent regardless of trypsin specific activity, with or without inhibitors, and type of inhibitor samples. By using purified inhibitors (Experiment 3), conversion values between TUI and μg trypsin inhibitor and between μg trypsin inhibited and μg trypsin inhibitor could also be calculated, enabling expression of TIA in amounts of pure KTI, BBI or their equivalents. Furthermore, when the AOCS method was modified with half substrate concentration, half trypsin concentration or half both (Experiment 4), TIA values in TUI could change with modifications but values in mg trypsin inhibited (standardized) or trypsin inhibitor remained consistent.     

Comparison of ISO 14902:2001 with AOCS Ba 12a-2020 for determining trypsin inhibitor activity in protein products

For measuring trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA), there are two major official methods: American Oil Chemists Society (AOCS) method Ba 12a-2020 and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14902:2001. The former was recently approved. The two methods differ in sample preparation, extraction, colorimetric assay systems and TIA calculations. In this study, the two methods were symmetrically compared using three unique sets of samples: assorted protein products of soybeans, pulses, and grains; soybeans boiled for varied durations; and soy white flakes toasted for varied durations. For given samples, significant differences existed in TIA measured by the two methods, resulting from effects related to the assay systems and TIA calculations, not from the difference in sample preparation and extraction. When the same trypsin was used, TIA (in mg trypsin inhibited/g sample) measured by the two methods were highly correlated (r = 0.9973, n = 27), giving an equation of y = 0.5464x − 0.4887, where y represents ISO values and x for AOCS values. The line connecting ratios of ISO/AOCS in TIA and AOCS values remained relatively flat around 0.53 but started to curve down when TIA approached the lowest. Furthermore, for the same samples, TIA values measured by the ISO method decreased with increasing specific activity of trypsin used, while AOCS values remained consistent, leading to decreasing ratios of ISO/AOCS. Therefore, accurate and direct comparison of the two methods was impossible. It could not be resolved by simply changing ISO method's calculations as hypothesized earlier. Regardless, for most samples, ISO values were roughly about 55% of AOCS values.     

Collaborative study for the quantification of total contents of 2- and 3-monochloropropanediol and glycidol in food emulsifiers by GC–MS

An international robin round was carried out to validate a method for the quantification of 2-monochloropropane-1,3-diol (2-MCPD), 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) and 2,3-epoxy-1-propanol (glycidol) being present as fatty acid esters in plant-based food emulsifiers. The evaluated method was a modification of the American Oil Chemist's Society (AOCS) Official Method Cd29b-13. Briefly, this method consists from parallel analysis of two sample aliquots that are spiked with different sets of internal standards. Mild alkaline interesterification overnight in the freezer releases the core analytes. Reaction stop and glycidol conversion into monobromopropanediol (MBPD) is realized by addition of acidified sodium bromide solution. Subsequently, matrix removal and analyte extraction are achieved by two liquid/liquid (l/l) extraction steps. After derivatisation with phenylboronic acid (PBA) the final extracts are analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Quantification is carried out by internal one-point-calibration. Six laboratories from four European countries participated in the trial and reported eight data sets for 10 test materials (mono- and diacylglycerides as well as polyglycerol polyricinoleates) that were analyzed as blind duplicates, giving a total of 20 samples. Result outliers were eliminated according to ISO 5725-2. At 2-MCPD levels above 0.02 mg/kg, 3-MCPD levels above 0.07 mg/kg and glycidol levels above 0.11 mg/kg repeatability (RSD_r) ranged from 1.9% to 24.0%, reproducibility (RSD_R) ranged from 6.7% to 29.2% and HorRat R values ranged from 0.4 to 1.6. The tested method showed to be suitable for the determination of 2-MCPD, 3-MCPD and glycidol in food emulsifiers consisting from mono- and diacylglycerides as well as polyglycerol polyricinoleates.     

High Performance Liquid Chromatography–Size Exclusion Chromatography for Rapid Analysis of Total Polar Compounds in Used Frying Oils

Analysis of used frying oil samples by high performance liquid chromatography–size exclusion chromatography (HPLC–SEC or HPSEC) was compared to AOCS Official Method Cd 20-91 (silica gel column chromatography) for the purpose of developing a rapid analysis of total polar compounds (TPC). In a direct comparison of the two analytical methods using four different sets of used frying oils (21 total oil samples) ranging from fresh to discard quality (4.3 to 35.4% TPC by column chromatography), the weight percent total polar compounds (%TPC) determined by HPLC–SEC averaged 0.71% higher than the values by silica gel column chromatography. Reproducibility of the HPLC–SEC method of s _r = 0.30 and RSD_r% = 1.22 compares to the variability of s _r = 0.29 and RSD_r = 1.3 for samples of approximately the same %TPC, reported in AOCS Method Cd 20-91. Because the rapid method does not separate pure (non-polar) triacylglycerol (TAG) and polar, oxidized TAG (OX-TAG), a high concentration of OX-TAG will quantitatively affect the results. This places practical limits on the types of studies to which the method may be applied if a separate analysis for the OX-TAG is not performed. Advantages of the HPLC–SEC method include the following. It uses about 75% less solvent than standard column chromatography methods for determination of %TPC. This HPLC–SEC method is very similar to AOCS Official Method Cd 22-91, and thus, also separates and quantifies polymerized triacylglycerols. The HPLC–SEC method determines both TAG polymer concentration and %TPC of used frying oils in about 1 h.     

A Comparison of the ISO and AACC Methods for Determining the Activity of Trypsin Inhibitors in Soybean Meal

The international standard method for the determination of trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA) in soya products, ISO 14902, was compared with the American Association of Cereal Chemists’ standard AACC 22‐40.01 as modified by Hamerstrand in 1981 (AACC‐based method), using soybean meals as matrices. TIA, expressed as milligram of inhibited trypsin per gram of sample, was determined by both methods in each of 30 samples of soybean meal. TIA values according to ISO 14902 were significantly lower (P < 0.001) than those afforded by the AACC‐based method. This difference, which means that AACC‐based method and ISO 14902 TIA values are not directly comparable, is attributable to between methods differences, in decreasing order of influence: particle size (P < 0.01), trypsin inhibitor extraction method (P < 0.05), and trypsin substrate (P < 0.01). N‐benzoyl‐l ‐arginine‐4‐nitroanilide hydrochloride, the ISO 14902 trypsin substrate, affords TIA values 6.4 % higher than the racemic mixture used by the AACC method, but it seems unlikely that in most contexts this advantage would outweigh the disadvantage of its greater cost.     

Collaborative test of determination of iodine value in fish oils. 2. Carbon tetrachloride or cyclohexane/acetic acid as solvents

Nine laboratories participated in a collaborative test to determine the iodine value (IV) of eight samples of fish oil (four with IV<150; four with IV>150) with either carbon tetrachloride (AOCS Official Method Cd 1–25) or cyclohexane/acetic acid (AOCS Recommended Practice Cd 1d-92) as solvent and 1 h of reaction time. Laboratories received coded duplicate samples (hidden duplicates) and carried out duplicate determinations on each oil by each method (open duplicates). Replacing carbon tetrachloride with cyclohexane/acetic acid resulted in similar mean values for both low- and high-IV oils and similar estimates of repeatability and reproducibility. The repeatability standard deviation (s _r ), based on hidden duplicates, with carbon tetrachloride and cyclohexane/acetic acid were 1.71 and 1.55, respectively. The corresponding reproducibility standard deviations were 1.81 and 1.98.     

Soybean Trypsin Inhibitor Assay: Further Improvement of the Standard Method Approved and Reapproved by American Oil Chemists’ Society and American Association of Cereal Chemists International

For measuring trypsin inhibitor (TI) activities in soybean products, the current standard method, approved and reapproved by American Oil Chemists Society (Method Ba 12-75) and American Association of Cereal Chemists International (Method 22-40.01), features mixing trypsin with a series of inhibitor levels and then adding a substrate to start the colorimetric reaction. Yet, previous studies have shown flaws with the method, particularly with using several inhibitor levels and the sequence of adding the substrate last. The present study showed that with varying levels of dilution and volumes of a dilute sample extract, the pH of the premix (the mixture of a dilute sample extract and trypsin solution) ranged 3.30–3.60 for raw soy flour, and 3.20–6.70 for toasted soy. Within these premix pH ranges, the standard method of adding substrate last would give TI values equal to or less than those measured by the same method except for adding the enzyme last. The standard method was subsequently improved by using a single sample extract level and the enzyme-last sequence. Other modifications included making stock solutions for reagents, adding Ca²⁺ to the trypsin solution, diluting sample extracts to a level that causes 30–70% of inhibition, and running both reference and sample blanks for better controls. Alternatively, the full volume assay (10 mL total, as in the standard method) was further modified by using half the volume of each reagent with the same concentration. Compared to the standard method, the improved methods gave more consistent results when assaying 11 selected soy products. The half volume (5 mL) and full volume methods gave the same results, but the former could increase assay sensitivity and reduce amounts of reagents used.     

Sterols and Stanols in Foods and Dietary Supplements Containing Added Phytosterols: A Collaborative Study

An international, multilaboratory collaborative study was carried out to evaluate the performance of Official Method Ce 12‐16 of the American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS) for the determination of plant sterols and stanols, collectively referred to as phytosterols, in foods and dietary supplements containing added phytosterols and in the phytosterol food additive concentrates used to prepare such products. AOCS Official Method Ce 12‐16 involves the extraction of free sterols/stanols and saponified steryl/stanol esters followed by the gas chromatographic separation and flame ionization detection of phytosterol trimethylsilyl ether derivatives. A total of 14 laboratories from six countries successfully completed the analysis of collaborative samples of foods (e.g., baked goods, beverages, margarines; n = 9), dietary supplements (n = 5), and phytosterol concentrates (n = 4). Study results for the contents of total phytosterols (weight/weight) were 0.19–8.4% for foods, 8.7–49% for dietary supplements, and 57–97% for concentrates. AOCS Official Method Ce 12‐16 showed acceptable performance for total and individual phytosterols, indicating that this method was suitable for the determination of added phytosterols in a wide variety of market products and concentrates. AOCS Official Method Ce 12‐16 is appropriate for the determination of the five major phytosterols (i.e., campesterol, stigmasterol, β‐sitosterol, campestanol, and sitostanol) that are the subject of the United States Food and Drug Administration's health claim for phytosterols and the reduced risk of coronary heart disease.     

Collaborative test of determination of iodine value in fish oils. 1. Reaction time and carbon tetrachloride or cyclohexane as solvents

Twenty-two laboratories participated in a collaborative test to determine the iodine value (IV) of eight samples of fish oil (four with IV<150, four with IV>150) with either carbon tetrachloride (AOCS Official Method Cd 1–25) or cyclohexane (AOCS Recommended Practice Cd 1b-87) as solvent and either 1 or 2 h of reaction time. Laboratories received coded duplicate samples (hidden duplicates) and carried out duplicate determinations on each oil by each solvent-time combination (open duplicates). Replacing carbon tetrachloride with cyclohexane resulted in a lower IV (P<0.001). The decrease averaged 1.6 IV units for low-IV oils and 3.8 IV units for high-IV oils; this difference in response of 2.2 IV units between low- and high-IV oils was significant (P<0.001). Increasing the reaction time had a relatively small effect (0.34±0.18). There was no interaction of reaction time with solvent or oil type. Cyclohexane caused emulsions, which made it difficult to titrate residual iodine and thus increased the variability of the determination. The repeatability standard deviations (s _r ), based on hidden duplicates, for 1-h reaction time with carbon tetrachloride and cyclohexane were 2.17 and 3.35, respectively. The corresponding reproducibility standard deviations were 2.73 and 4.53.     

A Greener Alternative Titration Method for Measuring Acid Values of Fats,Oils, and Grease

A greener alternative method is proposed for measuring acid values (AV) of fats, oils, and grease (FOG) based on visual titration. Compared with Official Method Cd 3d-63 of the American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS), this greener alternative method can eliminate the use of toluene, which in turn reduces toxicity and cost. A total of 44 samples of yellow and brown grease with AV ranging from 0.13 to 170.37 (mg KOH) g⁻¹ were titrated using both methods. The alternative titration method can provide accurate and reliable results to determine the AV of FOG by various statistical analyses including repeatability, linear regression, f-test, t-test, and method accuracy calibration with AOCS Cd 3d-63. This low-cost method can be recommended for routine titration in research and development, and in biodiesel plants for most FOG samples.     

Determination of the oxidative stability of fats and oils: Comparison between the active oxygen method (AOCS Cd 12-57) and the rancimat method

Oxidative stability is an important parameter in the characterization of fats and oils. The determination of this parameter with the Active Oxygen Method (AOM; AOCS Method Cd 12-57) is both very costly and labor intensive, owing to the repeated peroxide value determinations involved. The alternative rancimat method is based on the conductometric determination of volatile degradation products and features automatic plotting of the conductivity against time. The evaluation is performed graphically after completion of the experiment. The labor required for this method is considerably less as it is not necessary to perform titrations at regular intervals. In the determination of the peroxide values of six samples at three temperatures, ca 151 mixed solvent and chemicals valued at SFr. 400 (ca $180 US) were consumed. The induction times (t _I ) determined with both methods using six different fats and oils show a good correlation (slope 1.005, correlation coefficient 0.987). The rancimat method thus yields results equivalent to the AOCS Method Cd 12–57, but offers a real alternative for the determination of oxidative stabilities owing to the appreciable saving in labor.     

A modified method for determining free fatty acids from small soybean oil sample sizes

A modification of the AOCS Official Method Ca 5a-40 for determination of free fatty acids (FFA) in 0.3 to 6.0-g samples of refined and crude soybean oil is described. The modified method uses only about 10% of the weight of oil sample, alcohol volume, and alkali strength recommended in the Official Method. Standard solutions of refined and crude soybean oil with FFA concentrations between 0.01 and 75% were prepared by adding known weights of oleic acid. The FFA concentrations, determined from small sample sizes with the modified method, were compared with FFA percentages determined from larger sample sizes with the Official Method. Relationships among determinations obtained by the modified and official methods, for both refined and crude oils, were described by linear functions. The relationship for refined soybean oil had an R ² value of 0.997 and a slope of 0.99±0.031. The values for crude soybean oil are defined by a line with R ²=0.9996 and a slope of 1.01±0.013.     

Protein nitrogen combustion method collaborative study I. Comparison with smalley total Kjeldahl nitrogen and combustion results

During 1993–1994, a collaborative study of the determination of the nitrogen content of oilseed meals by the nitrogen combustion method was conducted among 24 laboratories in seven countries for the analysis of cottonseed, soybean (two samples), peanut, canola and safflower (two samples). These meals were also analyzed by the CuSO₄/TiO₂ Kjeldahl method (Official Methods and Recommended Practices of the American Oil Chemists' Society, 4th edn., 1989, Method Ba 4d-90) in the 1993–1994 Smalley Check Sample Program Oilseed Meal Series [Brown, J.,INFORM 5:640 (1994)]. Some participants used commercial nitrogen combustion instruments. In the Smalley Program, CuSO₄/TiO₂ Kjeldahl analysis gave nitrogen values that ranged from 0.05 to 0.13% lower than values obtained by the combustion method in the collaborative study. Nitrogen values obtained by the combustion method on an optional basis in the Smalley Program were generally lower by 0.01 to 0.03% than nitrogen values obtained by the combustion method in the collaborative study reported here.     

Comparison of FTIR and capillary gas chromatographic methods for quantitation oftrans unsaturation in fatty acid methyl esters

A computer-assisted method has been developed for estimation of isolatedtrans unsaturation using the peak area of thetrans absorbance band at 966 cm-1from FTIR spectra of fatty acid methyl esters. Peak areas were used to determine thetrans content of weighed standards containing from 0 to 100% methyl elaidate and of hydrogenated soybean oil samples containing up to 36%trans unsaturation. These data for percenttrans by FTIR were compared to corresponding data obtained by capillary gas chromatography and the AOCS Official Method 14-61. Determination of isolatedtrans composition in oils using peak areas gave values with the smallest standard deviation for weighed standards and values within 4% of those obtained by capillary gas chromatography and the AOCS Official Method for hydrogenated samples. Presented at the AOCS meeting in Phoenix, AZ in May 1988. To whom correspondence should be addressed.     

Evaluation of the CP-Sil 88 and SP-2560 GC columns used in the recently approved AOCS official method Ce 1h-05: Determination of cis-, trans-, saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in vegetable or non-ruminant animal oils and fats by capillary GLC method

The AOCS Official Method Ce 1h-05 was recently approved at the 96th AOCS Annual Meeting (2005) by the Uniform Methods Committee as the official method for determining cis and trans FA in vegetable or non-ruminant fats and oils. A series of experiments was undertaken using a margarine (hydrogenated soybean oil) sample containing approximately 34% total trans FA (28% 18∶1 trans, 6% 18∶2 trans, and 0.2% 18∶3 trans), a low-trans oil (ca. 7% total trans FA), and a proposed system suitability mixture (12∶0, 9c−18∶1, 11c−18;1, 9c,12c,15c−18∶3, 11c−20∶1, and 21∶0) in an effort to evaluate and optimize the separation on the 100-m SP-2560 and CP-Sil 88 flexible fused-silica capillary GC columns recommended for the analysis. Different carrier gases and flow rates were used during the evaluation, which eventually lead to the final conditions to be used for AOCS Official Method Ce 1h-05.     

Evaluation of SafTestTM methods for monitoring frying oil quality

The feasibility of applying methods developed by Safety Associates, Inc., to monitor oil degradation products, including malondialdehydes (AldeSafe^TM), FFA (FASafe^TM), and peroxides (PeroxySafe^TM), in fresh and heat-abused deep-fat frying oil was evaluated. Based on performance qualification studies, the AldeSafe method was the most suitable SafTest^TM assay for monitoring the quality of frying oil because of its high accuracy, precision, linearity, and reproducibility, and low detection/quantitation limits. A strong correlation (r=0.924) between the AldeSafe method and its counterpart, AOCS Official Method Cd 19-90, also supported the suitability of the SafTest method for monitoring oil quality. Moreover, the FASafe method had a moderately strong relationship with AOCS Official Method Ca 5a-40 (r=0.761). Our studies suggest that this test can be applied for monitoring frying oil; however, certain method performance limitations must be considered for routine analysis purposes. In contrast, the PeroxySafe method probably should not be used to monitor heat-abused oil without further development because of high variability, low accuracy, and low correlation (r=0.062) with the AOCS Official Method Cd 8-53 assay.     

A new method for determining gossypol in cottonseed oil by FTIR spectroscopy

A new method was developed to determine the gossypol content in cottonseed oil using FTIR spectroscopy with a NaCl transmission cell. The wavelengths used were selected by spiking clean cottonseed oil to gossypol concentrations of 0–5% and noting the regions of maximal absorbance. Transmittance values from the wavelength regions 3600–2520 and 1900–800 cm⁻¹ and a partial least squares (PLS) method were used to derive FTIR spectroscopic calibration models for crude cottonseed, semirefined cottonseed, and gossypol-spiked cottonseed oils. The coefficients of determination (R ²) for the models were computed by comparing the results from the FTIR spectroscopy against those obtained by AOCS method Ba 8-78. The R ² were 0.9511, 0.9116, and 0.9363 for crude cottonseed, semirefined cottonseed, and gossypol-spiked cottonseed oils, respectively. The SE of calibration were 0.042, 0.009, and 0.060, respectively. The calibration models were cross-validated within the same set of oil samples. The SD of the difference for repeatability and accuracy of the FTIR method were better than those for the chemical method. With its speed (ca. 2 min) and ease of data manipulation, FTIR spectroscopy is a useful alternative to standard wet chemical methods for rapid and routine determination of gossypol in process and/or quality control for cottonseed oil.     

Calculation of the Structural Linear Expansion Coefficient from the Chemical Composition of Glasses in the R2O(RO)–Al2O3–B2O3 (R = Li, Na, Ca, and Ba) System

The regularities of the influence of the glass composition on the structural linear expansion coefficient in the glass transition range are analyzed using the published data obtained in systematic experimental investigations of glasses in the R ₂O(RO)–Al₂O₃–B₂O₃ (R = Li, Na, Ca, and Ba) system. A method is proposed for calculating the structural linear expansion coefficients of these glasses from the chemical composition with a mean relative error of 10%. The possibilities of extending the composition range covered by the calculation are considered.     

Determination of hexane residues in vegetable oils with FTIR spectroscopy

The FTIR spectroscopy method was developed for the determination of hexane residues in palm and groundnut (peanut) oils. The method was based on horizontal attenuated total reflectance with a ZnSe crystal at 45° at room temperature, and partial least squares (PLS) statistics were used to derive calibration models. The accuracy of the method was comparable to that of the AOCS Method Ca 3b-87, with coefficients of determination (R ²) of 0.9866 and 0.9810 for palm and groundnut oils, respectively, and SE of calibration of 3.83 and 4.91, respectively. The calibration models were validated, and the R ² of validation and the SE of prediction computed. The SD of the difference for repeatability for the method was comparable to that for the standard AOCS method when used for palm and groundnut oils. With its speed and ease of data manipulation by computer software, FTIR spectroscopy has an advantage over present chemical methods, which require preparation of the oil using toxic solvents before GC.     

Total fat analysis in milk- and soy-based infant formula powder by supercritical fluid extraction

A rapid method for the determination of total fat in infant formula powders using a commercially available supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) instrument was evaluated. The matrices examined were Standard Reference Material SRM 1846 Infant Formula (NIST) and commercial milk- and soybased infant formula powders. Method verification and validation were done by linear regression analysis using the Method of Standard Additions. A Data Quality Objectives (DQO) format was used to define and evaluate the performance characteristic parameters of the instrumental total fat analysis fy SFE. A peer validation study showed excellent agreement with the declared labeled percentage fat values and reproducibility among three participating laboratories. The laboratory relative SD (RSD _R %) is within Horwitz's limits of acceptability and the HORRAT ratio criteria at the level of the analyte analyzed. Linear regression analysis of all infant formula matrices spiked with added fat showed that the SFE instrument response was due only to the added analyte. By integrating the DQO process with a readily available certified reference material, along with reproducibility indicated by two outside collaborating laboratories, we established verification and validation of the accuracy of the data obtained by SFE.