Crinumin,a chymotrypsin-like but glycosylated serine protease from Crinum asiaticum: Purification and physicochemical characterisation

Plant latex could be a potential source of novel proteases usable in the food and feed industries because of broad substrate specificity with high stability in extreme conditions. Crinumin, a glycosylated serine protease with chymotrypsin-like activity was purified from the latex of Crinumasiaticum using cation-exchange column chromatography. Crinumin shows activity over a wide range of pH (4.5–11.5 and optimum at 8.5), temperature (75 °C and optimum at 70 °C) and is also functional against chaotrophs, organic solvents, and detergents, even after prolonged exposure. The molecular mass (67.7 kDa), extinction coefficient (17.7), isoelectric point (6.9), and numbers of tryptophan (13), tyrosine (24) and cysteine (15 with 7 disulphide bridges) residues were estimated. K_m of the enzyme was 31.7 μM with casein and 5 × 10⁴ μM with N-succinyl-l-phenylalanine-p-nitroanilide. Easy availability of the aqueous latex, simple purification procedure, high yield (33%), stability and activity in adverse conditions makes it applicable for the pharmaceutical and food industries.     

纤维素金属螯合亲和膜的制备及其对牛血清白蛋白的吸附研究

以纤维素分析滤纸为载体、环氧氯丙烷(EPI)为交联活化剂、亚氨基二乙酸(IDA)为配基、铜离子为金属螯合离子,可制得Cu2 -IDA型固定化金属螯合膜。实验表明,滤纸先用4mol／L的NaOH浸润45min,再在75℃水浴中活化反应45min,所得亲和膜环氧基密度可达3.97μmol／cm2。最佳配基偶联反应条件为:25mgIDA／cm2膜、60℃、15h时可获得对Cu2 最大螯合量。牛血清白蛋白(BSA)等温吸附线基本符合Langmuir形式,经曲线拟合得最大吸附量为59.52mg/g干膜。     

分子对接和荧光光谱法研究麦角甾醇与牛血清白蛋白的相互作用

用分子荧光光谱实验法和分子对接理论研究麦角甾醇与牛血清白蛋白（bovine serum albumin,BSA）的相互作用。荧光光谱实验结果表明：麦角甾醇能猝灭BSA的内源性荧光,其猝灭类型为静态猝灭;通过考察猝灭过程中热力学函数的变化初步推断麦角甾醇与BSA的结合是自发的熵增过程,驱动力主要为疏水相互作用。运用分子对接技术研究了麦角甾醇与BSA的相互作用,结果表明：麦角甾醇与BSA相结合,主要的作用力类型为疏水相互作用;并获得了麦角甾醇在BSA中的作用位点,麦角甾醇处在一个疏水性的结合口袋中,结合稳定性强。荧光光谱的实验结果与分子对接的理论结果总体上一致,说明结合过程是一个自发的过程,BSA可以携带和运输麦角甾醇,同时从分子对接中获得了麦角甾醇在BSA中详细的结合位点和结合模式。     

CdS-BSA-CTMAB荧光光度法测定食品中蛋白质的含量

实验以六偏磷酸钠为稳定剂,巯基乙酸为修饰剂水相合成了荧光试剂CdS量子点。结果表明,牛血清白蛋白(BSA)可使CdS的荧光峰增强,而阳离子表面活性剂十六烷基三甲基溴化铵(CTMAB)的加入,可使体系荧光峰显著增敏,并且荧光强度与BSA浓度在8.0×10-5～1.3mg/mL范围内呈良好的线性关系,回归方程为F=1486.94793+937.70328C,相关系数R=0.9957,检出限为7.4×10-5mg/mL。方法已用于食品中蛋白质的测定,与考马斯亮蓝法对照,结果满意。     

Electroseparation of an antibacterial peptide fraction from snow crab by-products hydrolysate by electrodialysis with ultrafiltration membranes

Recently, a snow crab by-products hydrolysate has demonstrated antibacterial properties due to a peptide with a molecular weight of about 800 Da, but only at high concentration. Consequently, peptide hydrolysate has been fractionated to obtain peptides in a more purified form. The aim of this work was to separate a snow crab by-products hydrolysate by electrodialysis with ultrafiltration membranes (EDUF). EDUF, which allows separation of molecules according to their charges and molecular weights, was used to recover and concentrate the active antibacterial fraction. Two different ultrafiltration membranes (20 and 50 kDa) and two electrical field strengths (2 and 14 V/cm) were used as separation parameters. After EDUF separation, the 300-600 Da peptide molecular weight range was the most recovered with an abundance of 94%. Moreover, fractionation at 14 V/cm with ultrafiltration membranes of 50 kDa allowed the recovery of an anionic fraction which showed antibacterial properties on Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Listeria innocua HPB 13.     

Neriifolin S, a dimeric serine protease from Euphorbia neriifolia Linn.: Purification and biochemical characterisation

A dimeric serine protease Neriifolin S of molecular mass 94 kDa with milk clotting activity has been purified from the latex of Euphorbia neriifolia by anion exchange and size-exclusion chromatography. It hydrolyses peptidyl substrates l-Ala-pNA with highest affinity (K_m of 0.195 mM) and physiological efficiency (K_cat/K_m of 144.5 mM s). Enzyme belongs to the class of neutral proteases with pI value of 6.8, optimal proteolytic activity displayed at pH 9.5 and temperature 45 °C. Its proteolytic activity is strongly stimulated in the presence of Ca⁺² ions and exclusively inhibited by serine protease inhibitors. Enzyme is fairly stable toward chemical denaturants, pH and temperature. The apparent T_m, was found to be 65 °C. Thermal inactivation follow first order kinetics with activation energy (Ea), activation enthalpy (ΔH∗), free energy change (ΔG∗) and entropy (ΔS∗) of 27.54 kJ mol⁻¹, 24.89 kJ mol⁻¹, −82.34 kJ mol⁻¹ and 337.20 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹.     

Inhibitory effects of flavonoid glycosides isolated from the peel of Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki Fuyu) on antigen-stimulated degranulation in rat basophilic leukaemia RBL-2H3 cells

We found that two distinct flavonoid glycosides isolated from the peel of Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki Fuyu), isoquercitrin (Isq) and hyperin (Hyp), are capable of inhibiting antigen-stimulated degranulation in rat basophilic leukaemia RBL-2H3 cells. In order to elucidate the underlying mechanisms, we examined effects of Isq and Hyp on cellular responses induced by antigen stimulation. Treatment with both Isq and Hyp markedly inhibited antigen-stimulated elevation of intracellular free Ca²⁺ concentration and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Isq and Hyp did not affect NADPH oxidase (NOX) activity, but they possessed DPPH radical-scavenging activity similar to that of epigallocatechin gallate, a potent anti-oxidant, Finally, Isq and Hyp showed little or no effects on Ag-stimulated Syk activation or phosphorylation of signalling molecules. These results indicate that inhibition of antigen-stimulated degranulation by Isq and Hyp is mainly due to suppression of intracellular Ca²⁺ elevation, which is caused by direct scavenging of ROS that are generated by NOX. Our findings suggest that Isq and Hyp, isolated from the peel of persimmon, would be beneficial for alleviating symptoms of type I allergy.     

Analysis of nisin A,nisin Z and their degradation products by LCMS/MS

The peptides nisin A and nisin Z belong to type-A lantibiotics applied as preservatives in cheese production. The present study optimised and validated a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LCMS/MS) method for the analysis of nisin A in cheese. Since nisin A was not detectable in nisin-containing commercial cheese samples, an additional LCMS/MS method for the quantification of nisin Z was developed and validated. Quantification was performed by external calibration and standard addition. The latter method provided a non-significantly higher recovery rate for the tested cheese matrix. During the production of processed cheese, nisin A and nisin Z undergo significant degradation. Six degradation products of nisin A or nisin Z, respectively, were detected and assigned to nisin A/Z + H₂O, nisin A/Z^1–32, and nisin A/Z^1–32 + H₂O. In two out of eight commercial processed cheese samples, 1.6, resp. 1.7 mg nisin Z/kg cheese was measured, whereas nisin A was not detectable in any of the samples.     

The methionine precursor dl-2-hydroxy-(4-methylthio)butanoic acid protects intestinal epithelial barrier function

dl-2-hydroxy-(4-methylthio)butanoic acid (HMTBA) is a source of dietary methionine (Met) that is widely used in poultry nutrition. We have previously shown that HMTBA is preferentially diverted to the transsulfuration pathway, which gives antioxidant metabolites such as taurine and glutathione. Therefore, here we hypothesize that this Met source can protect epithelial barrier function in an in vitro model of intestinal inflammation of Caco-2 cells. The results show that HMTBA prevents the increase in paracellular permeability induced by H₂O₂ or tumour necrosis factor-α. This effect can be attributed to the increased production of taurine and reduced glutathione. Similar results were obtained for dl-Met, although the protective role of the amino acid was less pronounced than that of the hydroxy analogue. In conclusion, the diversion to the transsulfuration pathway means that this Met precursor is of greater value than previously thought, due to its capacity to improve intestinal homeostasis and the quality of poultry products destined for human consumption.