Comparative Study on Heat Stability and Functionality of Camel and Bovine Milk Whey Proteins

Heat stability, emulsifying, and foaming properties of camel whey have been investigated and compared with that of bovine whey. Camel whey is similar to bovine whey in composition, but is deficient in β-lactoglubulin (β-LG), a major component of bovine whey. Whether the deficiency in β-LG will affect stability and functional properties is not yet known. Substantial information on the functional properties of bovine milk whey proteins is available; however, there is little research done on functional properties of camel whey proteins. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the heat stability, emulsifying, and foaming characteristics of camel whey proteins. Calorimetric studies showed no significant difference in heat stability between bovine and camel whey proteins in liquid form. Upon drying, thermograms indicated that the 2 proteins are different in composition and thermal stability. The difference is represented in the absence of β-LG and the occurrence of protein denaturation peak at a lesser temperature in camel whey. The first marginal thermal transition in bovine whey appeared at 81°C, followed by 2 other transitions at 146 and 198°C. For camel whey, the transitions appeared at 139, 180, and 207°C respectively. The first marginal denaturation peak in bovine whey is due to β-LG, which is essentially absent in camel whey, while the second peak is due to the mixture of α-lactalbumin, serum albumin, and possibly part of the partially stabilized β-LG structure during the denaturation process. Because camel whey is deficient in β-LG, the denaturation peak at 139 must be due to the mixture of α-lactalbumin and camel serum albumin. In both proteins, the highest thermal transition is due to sugars such as lactose. The solubility study has shown that camel whey is more sensitive to pH than bovine milk whey and that heat stability is lowest near the isoelectric point of the proteins at pH 4.5. The sensitivity to pH resulted in partial denaturation and increased tendency to aggregate, which caused poor and unstable emulsion at pH 5. Both bovine and camel whey proteins have demonstrated good foaming properties; however, the magnitudes of these properties were considerably greater in bovine milk for all of the conditions studied.     

Alternative splicing of lactophorin mRNA from lactating mammary gland of the camel (Camelus dromedarius).

The objective of this study was to determine the corrected structure of lactophorin, a major whey protein in camel milk. The protein had 60.4% amino acid sequence identity to a proteose peptone component 3 protein from bovine whey and 30.3% identity to the glycosylation-dependent cell adhesion molecule 1 in mice. The N-terminal heterogeneity of the protein was a result of alternative mRNA splicing. About 75% of the protein was expressed as a long variant A with 137 amino acid residues and a molecular mass of 15.7 kDa; about 25% was as a short variant B with 122 amino acid residues and a molecular mass of 13.8 kDa. Both proteins are probably threefold phosphorylated. In contrast to the related proteins, no glycosylation was found in camel lactophorin. Because of this difference, specific interaction with carbohydrate binding proteins, as reported for the murine protein, can be excluded, and a function of the protein other than cell recognition or rotaviral inhibition is proposed. The concentration of lactophorin in camel milk was found to be about three times higher than the concentration of the bovine homologue in bovine milk. Pronounced similarities existed between the primary and secondary structures of bovine and camel proteins. We speculated that camel lactophorin has a similar function to that of bovine protein in milk, which is supposed to be the prevention of fat globule aggregation and the inhibition of spontaneous lipolysis by lipoprotein lipase.     

驼乳与牛乳乳清蛋白酶解工艺优化及其产物抗氧化能力分析

为了研究不同蛋白水解酶对驼乳和牛乳抗氧化能力的影响,向驼乳和牛乳乳清蛋白中添加不同蛋白水解酶,探究乳清蛋白抗氧化活性肽的最佳制备条件,并对其抗氧化能力进行比较分析。首先从3种蛋白酶中筛选出最佳用酶,在此基础上以1,1-二苯基-2-三硝基苯肼(1,1-diphenyl-2-Trinitrophenylhydrazine,DPPH)自由基的清除率为响应值,进行单因素和响应面试验,同时研究了驼乳和牛乳乳清蛋白抗氧化肽对DPPH自由基、羟自由基、超氧阴离子的清除效果。结果表明,木瓜蛋白酶水解物的能力最强,水解度可达15%。驼乳乳清蛋白最佳酶解工艺为酶解pH6.4,酶解温度55 ℃,底物浓度2.73%,DPPH自由基清除率可达71.9%。牛乳乳清蛋白最佳酶解工艺为酶解pH6,酶解温度54 ℃,底物浓度4%,DPPH自由基清除率达69.9%。在最佳酶解条件下,驼乳乳清蛋白酶解液的·OH清除率为58.2%,O₂^-·清除率为67.2%;牛乳乳清蛋白酶解液·OH清除率为52.2%,·O₂^-清除率为60.7%。驼乳乳清蛋白酶解液的抗氧化性在不同程度上均高于牛乳乳清蛋白酶解液,驼乳和牛乳乳清酶解液的DPPH自由基清除能力较强,其次是O₂^-·清除能力,·OH清除能力最弱。     

Rabbit whey acidic protein concentration in milk, serum, mammary gland extract, and culture medium.

Rabbit whey acidic protein has been purified from whey using an AcA54 column. The purified whey acidic protein had an amino acid composition in agreement with the previously defined cDNA sequence. An antibody against whey acidic protein was raised in guinea pig. This antibody did not crossreact with mouse or cow milk or with rabbit alpha s1-casein and beta-casein. Whey acidic protein concentration was measured in rabbit milk using the antibody with a radioimmunoassay. The concentration of whey acidic protein in rabbit milk was 15 mg/ml, whereas the concentrations of alpha s1-casein and beta-casein were 16 and 45 mg/ml, respectively. The concentration of the three proteins was also evaluated in culture medium of rabbit primary mammary cells. The three proteins were induced by prolactin alone. Glucocorticoids amplified the prolactin effect on whey acidic protein more intensively than on caseins. The three proteins were present in mammary extract from virgin rabbit. The concentration of these proteins was lower at d 8 and 14 of pregnancy, and it was very high at d 25 of pregnancy. Whey acidic protein was undetectable in blood of virgin, weaned, and midpregnant females and of males. Whey acidic protein was present in blood of lactating rabbits, but alpha s1-casein and beta-casein were not detectably present in rabbit blood at the examined physiological states.     

Cow and camel milk-derived whey and casein protein hydrolysates demonstrated effective antifungal properties against selected Candida species

Bioactive peptides derived from milk proteins are widely known to possess antibacterial activities. Even though the antibacterial effects of milk-derived peptides are widely characterized, not much focus is given to their antifungal characterization. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the antifungal properties of camel and cow whey and casein hydrolysates against various species of pathogenic Candida. The hydrolysates were produced using 2 enzymes (alcalase and protease) at differing hydrolysis durations (2, 4, and 6 h) and tested for their antifungal properties. The results showed that intact cow whey and casein proteins did not display any anti-Candida albicans properties, whereas the alcalase-derived 2 h camel casein hydrolysate (CA-C-A2) displayed a higher percentage of inhibition against Candida albicans (93.69 ± 0.26%) followed by the cow casein hydrolysate generated by protease-6 h (Co-C-P6; 81.66 ± 0.99%), which were significantly higher than that of fluconazole, a conventional antifungal agent (76.92 ± 4.72%). Interestingly, when tested again Candida krusei, camel casein alcalase 2 and 4 h (CA-C-A2 and CA-C-A4), and cow whey alcalase-6 h (CO-W-A6) hydrolysates showed higher antifungal potency than fluconazole. However, for Candida parapsilosis only camel casein alcalase-4 h (Ca-C-A4) and cow casein protease-6 h (Co-C-P6) hydrolysates were able to inhibit the growth of C. parapsilosis by 19.31 ± 0.84% and 23.82 ± 4.14%, respectively, which was lower than that shown by fluconazole (29.86 ± 1.11%). Overall, hydrolysis of milk proteins from both cow and camel enhanced their antifungal properties. Camel milk protein hydrolysates were more potent in inhibiting pathogenic Candida species as compared with cow milk protein hydrolysates. This is the first study that highlights the antifungal properties of camel milk protein hydrolysates.     

驼乳和牛乳乳清蛋白抑菌肽的分离纯化及抑菌活性的比较

本文以驼乳和牛乳的乳清蛋白为原料,经胃蛋白酶水解后,通过超滤及葡聚糖凝胶层析对其水解物进行分离纯化,其后对获得的蛋白肽进行抑菌活性、二喹啉甲酸法(BCA)蛋白浓度、相对分子质量及氨基酸组成的测定。结果表明:经超滤获得的驼乳和牛乳分子量<3 kDa的多肽片段-F3具有最强的抑菌活性,将F3(<3 kDa)组分通过层析处理得到的驼乳G-25-2和牛乳G-25-2抑菌肽纯度较高(BCA蛋白浓度分别为95.60%和95.32%);驼乳G-25-2和牛乳G-25-2组分对大肠埃希氏菌和金黄色葡萄球菌均有抑菌作用,最小抑菌质量浓度分别均为32.50和65.00 mg/mL;氨基酸分析结果显示,高活性抗菌肽中的总碱性氨基酸和总疏水性氨基酸含量最高,驼乳G-25-2中分别为32.80%和65.76%,牛乳G-25-2中分别为31.77%和58.70%。本研究结果表明,驼乳与牛乳均具有抑菌效果,且其抑菌能力高于牛乳,为今后研究驼乳抑菌肽的深入研究提供理论参考。     

牛初乳与牛乳中乳清蛋白质组成及功能的对比分析

乳清富含多种功能特性和生物活性的蛋白质,本研究利用SDS-PAGE电泳将牛初乳与牛乳中乳清蛋白质的组成部分进行分离鉴定,发现牛初乳与牛乳中乳清蛋白质的组成存在较大的差异,且在牛初乳乳清中鉴定出290种蛋白,牛乳乳清中鉴定出325种蛋白。由GO功能注释分析发现,在生物过程中,牛初乳乳清蛋白在细胞定位建立和细胞定位中的作用略高于牛乳乳清蛋白。在分子功能上酶抑制活性作用是牛初乳乳清蛋白和牛乳中乳清蛋白的主要分子功能。在细胞组成上牛初乳乳清蛋白参与较多的是细胞外部分和细胞外空隙,与牛乳乳清蛋白相比参与的细胞组成大体相同。通过KEGG代谢通路分析可知,牛初乳和牛乳乳清蛋白均参与过补体及凝血级联反应通路。对牛初乳乳清蛋白组成进行研究,不仅能够增加牛初乳的利用率,并且为日后以乳清蛋白作为原料生产乳制品提供理论依据。     

Distribution of selected trace elements in the major fractions of donkey milk

The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of Zn, Cu, Mn, Se, Mo, Co, Li, B, Ti, Cr, Rb, Sr, Cd, and Pb in donkey milk and their distribution in major milk fractions (i.e., fat, casein, whey proteins, and aqueous phase). Individual milk samples were provided by 16 clinically healthy lactating donkeys. Subsequent centrifugation, ultracentrifugation, and ultrafiltration were carried out to remove fat, casein, and whey proteins to obtain skim milk, a supernatant whey fraction, and the aqueous phase of milk, respectively. Concentrations of the elements were measured in whole milk and fractions by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, and the concentrations associated with fat, casein, and whey proteins were then calculated. The effect of removal of fat, casein, and whey proteins was determined by repeated-measures ANOVA. The fat fraction of donkey milk carried a small (～4.5% to 13.5%) but significant proportion of Mo, Co, Ti, Cr, and Sr. The casein fraction in donkey milk carried almost all milk Zn, a majority of Cu and Mn, and most of Mo, Ti, and Sr. Relevant proportions, between 20% and 36%, of Se, Co, and Cr were also associated with caseins. The majority of Se, Co, Li, B, Cr, and Rb, and relevant proportions of Mn, Mo, Ti, and Sr were found in soluble form (ultracentrifuged samples) and distributed between whey proteins and the aqueous phase of milk (ultrafiltered samples). Whey proteins in donkey milk carried the majority of milk Se and Co. All Li and B was present in the aqueous phase of milk, which also contained most Rb and Cr, and 17% to 42% of Mn, Se, Mo, Co, Ti, and Sr.     

Proteomic study on the stability of proteins in bovine,camel, and caprine milk sera after processing

Milk proteins have been shown to be very sensitive to processing. This study aims to investigate the changes of the bovine, camel, and caprine milk proteins after freezing, pasteurization (62 °C, 30 min), and spray drying by proteomic techniques, filter-aided sample preparation (FASP) and dimethyl labeling followed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). A total of 129, 125, and 74 proteins were quantified in bovine, camel, and caprine milk sera, respectively. The milk serum protein content decreased significantly after freezing, pasteurization, or spray drying, which can be ascribed to the removal of protein aggregates by the pH adjustment and ultracentrifugation during sample preparation. Some of the immune-related proteins were heat-sensitive, such as lactoferrin (LTF), glycosylation-dependent cell adhesion molecule 1 (GLYCAM1), and lactadherin (MFGE8), with losses of approximately 25% to 85% after pasteurization and 85% to 95% after spray drying. α-Lactalbumin (LALBA), osteopontin (SPP1), and whey acidic protein (WAP) were relatively heat stable with losses of 10% to 50% after pasteurization and 25% to 85% after spray drying. The increase of some individual proteins in concentration after freezing may be caused by the proteins originating from damaged milk fat globules and somatic cells. GLYCAM1 decreased significantly after pasteurization in bovine and camel milk but this protein is relatively stable in caprine milk. In conclusion, milk proteins changed differently in concentration after different processing steps, as well as among different species.     

Plasmin levels in fresh milk whey and commercial whey protein products

Growth of psychrotrophic bacteria in nonfat dry milk at refrigeration temperatures was shown previously in our laboratory to cause a shift in plasmin (a native milk protease) from the casein to the whey fraction. The whey fraction from cheesemaking is commonly used to make whey protein concentrates and isolates, which then are used as functional ingredients in various food systems. Plasmin activity in whey protein products may cause breakdown of food proteins to have desirable or undesirable effects on food quality. This raised questions about the level of plasmin in commercial whey protein products and factors that affect this plasmin level. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine: 1) plasmin concentrations in sweet and acid whey protein products as influenced by Pseudomonas growth during storage of fresh milk, and 2) plasmin concentrations in commercial whey protein products. Whey type (sweet or acid) had a significantly (P < 0.05) greater effect on whey-associated plasmin activity than did Pseudomonas fluorescens M 3/6 growth. Acid whey protein products had significantly (P < 0.05) higher plasmin concentrations than sweet whey. Plasmin activities associated with acid and sweet whey protein products were both significantly (P < 0.0001) affected by the growth of Pseudomonas fluorescens M 3/6. The interaction effect between bacterial growth and whey type on plasmin activity was not significant (P = 0.2457). Plasmin activity in the reconstituted commercial whey protein concentrates (i.e., sweet and acid) varied considerably (16.3 to 330 micrograms/g of protein), but was significantly lower (2.1 to 4.4 micrograms/g of protein, P < 0.05) in whey isolates. These quantitative data were supported by plasmin activity visualized by casein SDS-PAGE.     

CHARACTERIZATION OF WHEY PROTEINS FROM MONGOLIAN YAK, KHAINAK, AND BACTRIAN CAMEL

The composition of whey proteins from ruminant Mongolian domestic animals was analyzed and a comparative study between camel (Camelus bactrianus) and dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) was made. Whey proteins were separated by ion-exchange chromatography and identified by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, amino acid composition and N-terminal sequence determination. The main components of wheys of yak and khainak were nearly identical with their bovine counterparts. Three different forms of α-lactalbumin were isolated in the whey of Camelus bactrianus and two from Camelus dromedarius. As shown by classical biochemical and immunological studies, β-lactoglobulin was absent from whey of both Camelus. Camel whey basic protein (CWBP), having no analogy with known milk and nonmilk proteins, was identified in the whey of Camelus bactrianus and Camelus dromedarius and its N-terminal sequence was determined.     

新疆双峰驼乳清对棕榈酸损伤MIN6细胞的保护作用

探讨驼乳清对小鼠胰岛β细胞株(MIN6)细胞损伤的保护作用以及信号通路的影响.通过棕榈酸构建MIN6细胞损伤模型,驼乳清处理后观察细胞活性,通过台盼蓝观察细胞形态,Hoechst染色观测细胞凋亡情况.通过Western blot和QPCR检测MIN6细胞信号通路的表达.结果表明驼乳清能够有效提高MIN6损伤后的细胞活性...     

Expression of the peptidoglycan recognition protein, PGRP, in the lactating mammary gland

The peptidoglycan recognition protein, PGRP, known as an intracellular component of neutrophils, has been isolated from camel (Camelus dromedarius) milk by acid precipitation followed by heparin-sepharose affinity chromatography of the supernatant. The mean concentration in milk was about 120 mg/L. It decreased during lactation by 19% and increased in the event of severe mastitis by 45%. The protein bound to lactic acid bacteria and other gram-positive bacteria with an affinity similar to that reported for the human and murine orthologs, although the isoelectric point of the molecule was distinctly higher at pH 9.02. The N-terminus of mature camel PGRP was determined as NH2-ArgGluAspProPro-CO2H. Calculated and measured molecular masses were both 19.1 kDa, excluding the possibility of posttranslational modifcation or binding of cation ligands. The peptide probably builds a homotrimer at high concentration. The corresponding mRNA was isolated from lactating mammary gland tissue, and 5.3 kbp of the corresponding gene was sequenced. Similarities were found to the camel lactoferrin gene with regard to sites of expression and to the region 5' upstream to the gene.     

HPLC-MS/MS-Detection of Caseins and Whey Proteins in Meat Products

Screening methods for the mass spectrometric detection of caseins and whey proteins in meat products have been developed. After tryptic digestion, two α-S1-casein and two β-lactoglobulin marker peptides were measured by HPLC-MS/MS. For matrix calibrations, emulsion-type sausages with different concentrations of milk and whey protein (ppm level) were produced. The limits of detection (LODs) were below 1 ppm for milk protein and about 3 ppm for whey protein. The determination coefficients for the correlation between peak area of the marker peptides and the concentrations of milk and whey proteins were R²≥0.9899.     

Whey protein–pectin complexes as new texturising elements in fat-reduced yoghurt systems

The structural and sensory characteristics of skim milk yoghurt enriched with whey protein–pectin mixtures were studied using laser diffraction spectroscopy, rheology, tribology, scanning electron microscopy, and sensory analysis, and compared with a full-fat control. The textural impact of non-heated and heated whey protein–pectin mixtures added to the milk formulations was examined. Associative interaction of whey proteins with pectin suppressed whey protein aggregation during yoghurt manufacturing while maintaining the structuring effects of denatured whey protein in yoghurt in terms of increased firmness and flow properties. The structuring effect in yoghurt was reduced when a heated whey protein–pectin mixture was used. The use of a non-heated whey protein-high methoxyl pectin mixture in the skim milk formulations yielded a yoghurt texture resembling the full-fat counterpart. This study demonstrated the ability of whey protein-high methoxyl pectin complexes to act as fat replacers and texturising elements in reduced-fat yoghurt.     

Selenium content of goat milk and its distribution in protein fractions.

This study reports on selenium distribution in goat milk. Skim milk was found to contain the major part (94%) of total milk selenium. The selenium distribution over casein and whey protein fractions depends on the separation method used, but irrespective of these methods, skim milk selenium is mainly associated with the casein fraction (greater than 69%). Approximately 9%, 7% and 24% of selenium is removed by dialysis (molecular cutoff 10-12 kDa) from skim milk, casein and whey respectively, indicating a major association of selenium with milk proteins. This observation is confirmed by selenium analysis of individual caseins and whey proteins isolated through ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. Selenium concentrations of the different isolated milk proteins show considerable variation (caseins: 294-550 ng Se/g; whey proteins: 217-457 ng Se/g).     

Comparison of the principal proteins in bovine, caprine, buffalo, equine and camel milk

Proteomic analysis of bovine, caprine, buffalo, equine and camel milk highlighted significant interspecies differences. Camel milk was found to be devoid of β-lactoglobulin, whereas β-lactoglobulin was the major whey protein in bovine, buffalo, caprine, and equine milk. Five different isoforms of κ-casein were found in camel milk, analogous to the micro-heterogeneity observed for bovine κ-casein. Several spots observed in 2D-electrophoretograms of milk of all species could tentatively be identified as polypeptides arising from the enzymatic hydrolysis of caseins. The understanding gained from the proteomic comparison of these milks may be of relevance both in terms of identifying sources of hypoallergenic alternatives to bovine milk and detection of adulteration of milk samples and products.     

Genetic parameters for major milk proteins in Dutch Holstein-Friesians

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for major milk proteins. One morning milk sample was collected from 1,940 first-parity Holstein-Friesian cows in February or March 2005. Each sample was analyzed with capillary zone electrophoresis to determine the relative concentrations of the 6 major milk proteins. The results show that there is considerable genetic variation in milk protein composition. The intraherd heritabilities for the relative protein concentrations were high and ranged from 0.25 for β-casein to 0.80 for β-lactoglobulin. The intraherd heritability for the summed whey fractions (0.71) was higher than that for the summed casein fractions (0.41). Further, there was relatively more variation in the summed whey fraction (coefficient of variation was 11% and standard deviation was 1.23) compared with the summed casein fraction (coefficient of variation was 2% and standard deviation was 1.72). For the caseins and α-lactalbumin, the proportion of phenotypic variation explained by herd was approximately 14%. For β-lactoglobulin, the proportion of phenotypic variation explained by herd was considerably lower (5%). Eighty percent of the genetic correlations among the relative contributions of the major milk proteins were between −0.38 and +0.45. The genetic correlations suggest that it is possible to change the relative proportion of caseins in milk. Strong negative genetic correlations were found for β-lactoglobulin with the summed casein fractions (−0.76), and for β-lactoglobulin with casein index (−0.98). This study suggests that there are opportunities to change the milk protein composition in the cow's milk using selective breeding.     

Dromedary camel milk proteins,a source of peptides having biological activities – A review

Many useful properties are assigned to camel (Camelus dromedarius) milk, which is traditionally used for the treatment of tuberculosis, gastroenteritis, and allergy in many countries. Some amino acid sequences, which are encrypted in the camel proteins, may play a beneficial role in human health once they are released from milk either in vivo during normal digestion or by proteolysis with purified enzymes or during bacterial fermentation. Similar to the bovine milk counterparts, camel milk bioactive peptides may display a variety of potential activities that were almost always unveiled from in vitro analyses: anti-microbial, anti-oxidative, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory activities. Today, there is a growing interest for bioactive peptides generated from camel milk. This paper reviews available data on the potential biological activities of the camel milk proteins and their peptides liberated either during milk fermentation with proteolytic bacterial strains or by enzyme hydrolysis with specific proteases or simulated gastro-intestinal digestion.     

Influence of milk pre-heating conditions on casein–whey protein interactions and skim milk concentrate viscosity

The viscosity of concentrates (50–55% total solids) prepared from skim milk heated (5 min at 80 or 90 °C) at pH 6.5 and 6.7 was examined. The extent of heat-induced whey protein denaturation increased with increasing temperature and pH. More denatured whey protein and κ-casein were found in the serum phase of milk heated at higher pH. The viscosity of milk concentrates increased considerably with increasing pH at concentration and increasing heating temperature, whereas the distribution of denatured whey proteins and κ-casein between the serum and micellar phase only marginally influenced concentrate viscosity. Skim milk concentrate viscosity thus appears to be governed primarily by volume fraction and interactions of particles, which are governed primarily by concentration factor, the extent of whey protein denaturation and pH. Control and optimization of these factors can facilitate control over skim milk concentrate viscosity and energy efficiency in spray-drying.