Detection and quantitation of lactoferrin in bovine whey samples by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on polystyrene-divinylbenzene

An existing RP-HPLC method for the measurement of the major bovine whey proteins in bovine whey samples and powders has been extended to include the analysis of the minor bovine whey protein lactoferrin. Lactoferrin could be detected and quantitated at levels down to 0.2 microg and linear calibration was observed between 0.2 and 30 microg. Reliable quantitation of lactoferrin in whey samples could be achieved provided the bovine serum albumin to lactoferrin ratio did not exceed 10:1. Quantitative data obtained by the RP-HPLC method compared favourably with data obtained by Mono S analytical chromatography.     

Separation of Proteins in Human Milk

Abstract

A separation of proteins in human milk whey using high performance ion exchange chromatography is reported. Three chromatographic peaks were identified on the basis of retention times as bile salt-stimulated lipase (BSSL), lactoferrin, and α-lactalbumin. Implications for the purification of BSSL are discussed and suggestions for future purification procedures are made.     

Immobilised peptide displaying phages as affinity ligands. Purification of lactoferrin from defatted milk

An affinity purification procedure for the direct purification of lactoferrin from defatted (skimmed) milk has been developed. The procedure is based on using selected phage clones expressing a peptide with high binding affinity for lactoferrin which were covalently coupled to macroporous poly(dimethylacrylamide) monolithic column. Large pore size (10-100 microm) of macroporous poly(dimethylacrylamide) makes it possible to couple long (1 microm) phage particles as ligands without any risk of blocking the monolithic column. Bound lactoferrin was eluted using 1M NaCl with a purity of >95%. The technique presents a good alternative to conventional immunoaffinity chromatography for purification of a protein of interest from complex samples due to (i) the robustness of the system in terms of recovery and ligand leakage and (ii) economical aspect in terms of low ligand cost.     

Isolation of bovine lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase and enzymatically prepared lactoferricin from proteolytic digestion of bovine lactoferrin using adsorptive membrane chromatography

A new downstream procedure for the isolation of bovine lactoferrin (bLf), lactoperoxidase and bovine lactoferricin (LfcinB) from sweet cheese whey was developed at the laboratory scale, based on membrane adsorber technology. The procedure was upscaled later on to an industrially relevant scale for the purificationof sweet whey concentrate with a recovery yield for lactoferrin of more than 90%. Based on these results the industrial process for 1 x 10(8) kg whey per year was projected. These high-value proteins were downstreamed by using cation-exchange membrane systems (Sartobind S, Sartorius, G?ttingen, Germany). These strongly acidic membranes trap proteins in its anionic form. The dynamic loading capacity for both proteins as well as the optimal elution profiles with sodium chloride gradients were derived from laboratory experiments using membrane modules with 15-75 cm2 membrane material. Further investigations were performed with 1 m2 modules in a continuous process mode. The enzymatic preparation of LfcinB from bLf was performed by pepsin hydrolysis and the isolation of LfcinB was directly carried out from the enzymatic digest mixture. The identification of the proteins was performed with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). LfcinB and bLf were both tested afterwards in biological assays in order to show not only the efficiency of the downstreaming process in regard to product quantity but also to product quality (biological activity).     

Isolation of immunoglobulin G from bovine milk whey by poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate)‐based anion‐exchange cryogel

Bovine milk whey contains several bioactive proteins such as α‐lactalbumin, β‐lactoglobulin, and immunoglobulin G (IgG). Chromatographic separation of these proteins has received much attention in the past few years. In this work, we provide a chromatographic method for the efficient isolation of IgG from bovine milk whey using a poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate)‐based anion‐exchange cryogel. The monolithic cryogel was prepared by grafting 2‐(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate onto the poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate)‐based cryogel matrix and then employed to separate IgG under various buffer pH and salt elution conditions. The results showed that the buffer pH and the salt concentration in the step elution have remarkable influences on the purity of IgG, while the IgG recovery depended mainly on the loading volume of whey for a given cryogel bed. High purity IgG (more than 95%) was obtained using the phosphate buffer with pH of 5.8 as the running buffer and the salt solution in as the elution liquid. With suitable loading volume of whey, the maximum IgG recovery of about 94% was observed. The present separation method is thus a potential choice for the isolation of high‐purity IgG from bovine milk whey.     

Simultaneous anion and cation exchange chromatography of whey proteins using a customizable mixed matrix membrane

Membrane chromatography can overcome some of the limitations of packed bed column chromatography but preparation of adsorptive membranes usually involves complex and harsh chemical modifications. Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) require only the physical incorporation of an ion exchange resin into the membrane polymer solution prior to membrane casting. An advantage of MMMs not previously exploited is that resins with differing adsorptive functionalities can be conveniently embedded within a single membrane at any desired ratio. This presents the opportunity to customize an adsorptive membrane to suit the expected protein profile of a raw feed stream e.g. bovine whey or serum. In this work, a novel mixed mode interaction MMM customized to extract all major proteins from bovine whey was synthesized in a single membrane by incorporating 42.5 wt% Lewatit MP500 anionic resin and 7.5 wt% SP Sepharose cationic resin into an ethylene vinyl alcohol base polymer casting solution. The mixed mode MMM developed was able to bind both basic and acidic proteins simultaneously from whey, with binding capacities of 7.16±2.24 mg α-lactalbumin g(-1) membrane, 11.40±0.73 mg lactoferrin (LF)g(-1) membrane, 59.21±9.90 mg β-lactoglobulin g(-1) membrane and 6.79±1.11 mg immunoglobulin Gg(-1) membrane (85 mg total protein g(-1) membrane) during batch fractionation of LF-spiked whey. A 1000 m(2) spiral-wound membrane module (200 L membrane volume, 1m(3) module volume) is predicted to be able to produce approximately 25 kg total whey protein per h.     

Fluorometric study on the interaction between lomefloxacin and bovine lactoferrin.

The binding of lomefloxacin to bovine lactoferrin (BLf) in a dilute aqueous solution was studied using fluorescence spectra. The binding constant (K) and the number of binding sites (n) were obtained by a fluorescence quenching method. The binding distance (r) and energy-transfer efficiency (E) between lomefloxacin and bovine lactoferrin were also obtained according to the mechanism of Fo?rster-type dipole-dipole nonradiative energy-transfer. The effect of lomefloxacin on the conformation of bovine lactoferrin was also analyzed by synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. The interaction between lomefloxacin and bovine lactoferrin is strong. Lomefloxacin can affect the conformation of bovine lactoferrin to some degree.     

荧光法研究氧氟沙星与牛乳铁蛋白的相互结合作用

用荧光光谱法研究了稀水溶液中牛乳铁蛋白与氧氟沙星分子之间的结合作用机制.以荧光猝灭法测定了该反应的结合常数K, 结合位点数n；并依据Förster偶极-偶极无辐射能量转移机制,得到氧氟沙星和牛乳铁蛋白色氨酸残基之间结合距离r和能量转移效率E；并用同步荧光技术考察了氧氟沙星对牛乳铁蛋白构象的影响；牛乳铁蛋白与氧氟沙星分子之间有较强的结合作用,而且氧氟沙星对牛乳铁蛋白的构象有一定的影响.     

3,3′‐Diamino‐N‐methyldipropylamine as a versatile affinity ligand

Currently, in biomedicine and biotechnology fields, there is a growing need to develop and produce biomolecules with a high degree of purity. To accomplish this goal, new purification methods are being developed looking for higher performance, efficiency, selectivity, and cost‐effectiveness. Affinity chromatography is considered one of the most highly selective methods for biomolecules purification. The purpose of this work is to explore a new type of a structurally simple ligand immobilized onto an agarose matrix to be used in affinity chromatography. The ligand in this study, 3,3′‐diamino‐N‐methyldipropylamine has shown low toxicity and low cost of preparation. Moreover, the ability of the ligand to be used in affinity chromatography to purify proteins and nucleic acids was verified. An increasing sodium chloride gradient, using salt concentrations up to 500 mM, was suitable to accomplish the purification of these biomolecules, meaning that the new support allows the recovery of target biomolecules under mild conditions. Thus, the 3,3′‐diamino‐N‐methyldipropylamine ligand is shown to be a useful and versatile tool in chromatographic experiments, with very good results either for proteins or supercoiled plasmid isoform purification.     

Expression,Purification, and Antibacterial Activity of Bovine Lactoferrampin–Lactoferricin in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pichia pastoris</Emphasis>

Bovine lactoferrampin (LFA) and bovine lactoferricin (LFC) are two antimicrobial peptides located in the N₁ domain of bovine lactoferrin. The bactericidal activity of the fused peptide LFA–LFC is stronger than that of either LFA or LFC. The high cost of peptide production from either native digestion or chemical synthesis limits the clinical application of antimicrobial peptides. The expression of recombinant peptides in yeast may be an effective alternative. In the current study, the expression, purification, and antibacterial activity of LFA–LFC using the Pichia pastoris expression system are reported. The linearized expression vector pPICZaA–LFA–LFC was transformed into P. pastoris KM71 by electroporation, and positive colonies harboring the target genes were screened out and used for fermentation. The recombinant LFA–LFC peptide was purified via two-step column chromatography and identified by tricine–sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The results indicate that P. pastoris is a suitable system for secreting LFA–LFC. The fermentation supernate and the purified LFA–LFC show high antimicrobial activities. The current study is the first to report on the expression and purification of LFA–LFC in P. pastoris and may have potential practical applications in microbial peptide production.     

Spreeta-based biosensor immunoassays to detect fraudulent adulteration in milk and milk powder

Biacore biosensors (Biacore AB, Uppsala, Sweden) have proven to be robust analytical tools for the automated immunochemical detection of different adulterants and contaminants in milk and milk powder. However, the significant cost of the instruments is a disincentive for their wide application in food control laboratories. Therefore, a low-cost alternative optical biosensor (Spreeta, Texas Instruments, Attleboro, MA) was built into an affordable liquid handling system. Using this prototype biosensor, an inhibition immunoassay for bovine K-casein was evaluated for the detection of cow's milk in ewe's and goat's milk and for the detection of bovine rennet whey powder in milk powder. Comparable sensitivities were obtained for both adulterants in the Spreeta-based prototype biosensor and a Biacore 3000 instrument. The limit of detection for cow's milk was 0.17% (v/v) and bovine rennet whey powder could be detected in milk powder above 1% (w/w). The Spreeta sensor was also useful in the control of fraudulent water additions to milk, simply by measuring differences in the bulk response.     

Study on a New Method for Synthesis of Mirabegron

Mirabegron is a muscle relaxing drug for the treatment of overactive bladder. The existing synthetic methods for mirabegron produced intermediate product 4‐(2‐(phenethylamino)ethyl)aniline, which complicated the final product purification process. In this study, we designed a new synthetic route for mirabegron with low cost starting materials and a production of mirabegron at a 99.6% purity and a 61% overall yield. Particularly, this new synthetic route did not produce side product 4‐(2‐(phenethylamino)ethyl)aniline, which significantly simplified the product purification process.     

超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法测定乳与乳制品中牛乳铁蛋白

建立了超高效液相色谱-串联质谱技术定量检测乳制品中牛乳铁蛋白含量的方法。样品经脱脂、酶解后,利用超高效液相色谱-四极杆/静电场轨道阱高分辨质谱（UPLC-Q/Exactive-HRMS）和Protein Pilot软件分析,实现了乳铁蛋白及其肽段的鉴定;通过初级局部序列搜索工具（basic local alignment search tool,BLAST）与Uniprot数据库对比分析筛选出牛乳铁蛋白的8个特征肽段;选择其中3个响应强度高、稳定性好的特征肽段进一步通过超高效液相色谱-三重四极杆质谱（UPLC-QqQ-MS）进行验证和多反应监测（MRM）定量研究,并考察了空白基质匹配的外标法和内标法对乳铁蛋白检测结果的差异。采用外标法定量时,3个肽段在各自范围内线性关系良好,检出限为0.023~0.041 mg/kg,定量限为0.077~0.137 mg/kg,平均回收率为93.8%~103.9%,日内精密度≤8.8%,日间精密度≤9.5%。该方法抗干扰能力强,灵敏度高,重复性好,适用于乳及乳制品中牛乳铁蛋白的含量测定。     

Simultaneous separation and quantitation of the major bovine whey proteins including proteose peptone and caseinomacropeptide by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on polystyrene-divinylbenzene

A precise, sensitive and reliable RP-HPLC method was developed to enable not only unequivocal determination of alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactoglobulin in bovine whey samples, but also simultaneous measurement of proteose peptone, caseinomacropeptide, bovine serum albumin and immunoglobulin G. The optimised method on the Resource RPC column allowed separation of the proteins in 30 min and could be applied to the analysis of soluble proteins in a variety of commercial and laboratory whey products. Furthermore, some qualitative information on protein heterogeneity and quality could be derived from the RP-HPLC analyses with additional data available from on-line electrospray mass spectrometry. Within- and between-day repeatability over a wide range of concentrations was excellent (RSD< or =5%) for all proteins except immunoglobulin G and bovine serum albumin where RSD was 7-10%. Analysis of grouped data from whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate samples gave a limit of detection of < or =0.3% powder mass and a limit of quantitation of < or =1.0% powder mass for all proteins except immunoglobulin G. Limits of detection and quantitation were 0.6% and 2.0%, respectively, for this protein. Quantitative data obtained by the RP-HPLC method compared very favourably with data obtained by alternative methods of whey protein analysis.     

Bovine Lactoferrampin,Human Lactoferricin,and Lactoferrin 1-11 Inhibit Nuclear Translocation of HIV Integrase

This study aimed to investigate fragments derived from human and bovine lactoferrins for ability to inhibit nuclear translocation of HIV-1 integrase. It was shown that human lactoferricin, human lactoferrin 1-11, and bovine lactoferrampin reduced nuclear distribution of HIV-1 integrase. Bovine lactoferrampin could inhibit both the activity and nuclear translocation of HIV-1 integrase. Human lactoferrampin, bovine lactoferricin, and bovine lactoferrin 1-11 had no effect on HIV-1 integrase nuclear translocation. Human lactoferrampin which inhibited the activity of integrase did not prevent its nuclear translocation. Human lactoferricin and lactoferrin 1-11 did not inhibit HIV-1 integrase nuclear translocation despite their ability to attenuate the enzyme activity. The discrepancy between the findings on reduction of HIV-1 activity and inhibition of nuclear translocation of HIV-1 integrase was due to the different mechanisms involved. A similar reasoning can also be applied to the different inhibitory potencies of the milk peptides on different HIV enzymes, i.e., nuclear translocation.     

Foam fractionation of a dilute solution of bovine lactoferrin

Lactoferrin (Lf), a protein found in human and bovine milk, tears, blood, and other secretory fluids, has been used to prevent infection from potential microbial pathogens by its ability to bind with iron (Fe³⁺). Currently, bovine lactoferrin can be purified from milk using ion exchange resin, which is a costly procedure making lactoferrin expensive. The purpose of this work was to investigate a low-cost foam fractionation process as the first step in separating lactoferrin from milk.     

Analysis of bovine whey proteins in soybean dairy-like products by capillary electrophoresis

The simultaneous separation of bovine whey proteins [alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactoglobulin (A+B)] and soybean proteins was performed, for the first time, by capillary electrophoresis. Different experimental conditions were tested. The most suitable consisted of 0.050 M phosphate buffer (pH 8) with 1 M urea and 1.2 mg/ml methylhydroxyethylcellulose, UV detection at 280 nm, 15 kV applied voltage, and 30 degrees C temperature. Quantitation of bovine whey proteins in a commercial powdered soybean milk manufactured by adding bovine whey to its formulation was performed using the calibration method of the external standard. Direct injection of a solution of the powdered soybean milk only enabled quantitation of alpha-lactalbumin in the commercial sample. Detection of beta-lactoglobulin (A+B) required acid precipitation of the solution of the sample in order to concentrate bovine whey proteins in the supernatant prior to the analysis of this protein in the whey obtained. Since alpha-lactalbumin could also be quantitated from the injection of the whey, the simultaneous determination of alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactoglobulin (A+B) was possible upon acid precipitation of the powdered soybean milk solution. Detection limits obtained were 14 microg/g sol. for alpha-lactalbumin and 52 microg/g sol. for beta-lactoglobulin (A+B) which represent protein concentrations about 60 microg/100 g sample for alpha-lactalbumin and 100 microg/100 g sample for beta-lactoglobulin (A+B).     

Separation and quantitation of milk whey proteins of close isoelectric points by on-line capillary isoelectric focusing--electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in glycerol-water media

On-line coupling between CIEF and ESI/MS based on the use of bare fused-silica capillaries and glycerol-water media, recently developed in our laboratory, has been investigated for the separation of milk whey proteins that present close pI values. First, a new rinsing procedure, compatible with MS detection, has been developed to desorb these rather hydrophobic proteins (α-casein (α-CN), bovine serum albumin (BSA), lactoferrin (LF)) from the inner capillary wall and to avoid capillary blockages. Common hydrochloric acid washing solution was replaced by a multi-step sequence based on the use of TFA, ammonia and ethanol. To achieve the separation of major whey proteins (β-lactoglobulin A (β-LG A), β-lactoglobulin B (β-LG B), α-lactalbumin (α-LA) and BSA, which possess close pI values (4.5-5.35), CIEF parameters i.e. carrier ampholyte nature, capillary partial filling length with ampholyte/protein mixture and focusing time, have been optimized with respect to total analysis time, sensitivity and precision on pI determination. After optimization of sheath liquid composition (80:20 (v/v) methanol-water+1% HCOOH), quantitation of β-LG A, β-LG B, α-LA and BSA was performed. The limits of detection obtained from extracted ion current (EIC) and single ion monitoring (SIM) modes were in the 57-136 nM and 11-68 nM range, respectively. Finally, first results obtained from biological samples demonstrated the suitability of CIEF-MS as a potential alternative methodology to 2D-PAGE to diagnose milk protein allergies.     

Determination of bovine lactoferrin in dairy products by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry based on tryptic signature peptides employing an isotope-labeled winged peptide as internal standard

A new and sensitive determination method was developed for bovine lactoferrin in dairy products including infant formulas based on the signature peptide by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography and triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry under the multiple reaction monitoring mode. The simple pretreatment procedures included the addition of a winged peptide containing the isotope-labeled signature peptide as internal standard, followed by an enzymatic digestion with trypsin. The signature peptide was chosen and identified from the tryptic hydrolyzates of bovine lactoferrin by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography and quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry based on sequence database search. Analytes were separated on an ACQUITY UPLC BEH 300 C18 column and monitored by MS/MS in seven minutes. Quantitative result bias due to matrix effect and tryptic efficiency was corrected through the use of synthetic isotope-labeled standards. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were 0.3 mg/100 g and 1.0 mg/100 g, respectively. Bovine lactoferrin within the concentration range of 10–1000 nmol L⁻¹ showed a strong linear relationship with a linear correlation coefficient (r) of >0.998. The intra- and inter-day precision of the method were RSD < 6.5% and RSD < 7.1%, respectively. Excellent repeatability (RSD < 6.4%) substantially supported the application of this method for the determination of bovine lactoferrin in dairy samples. The present method was successfully validated and applied to determination of bovine lactoferrin in dairy products including infant formulas.     

A high-throughput method for the quantification of iron saturation in lactoferrin preparations

Lactoferrin is considered as a part of the innate immune system that plays a crucial role in preventing bacterial growth, mostly via an iron sequestration mechanism. Recent data show that bovine lactoferrin prevents late-onset sepsis in preterm very low birth weight neonates by serving as an iron chelator for some bacterial strains; thus, it is very important to control the iron saturation level during diet supplementation. An accurate estimation of lactoferrin iron saturation is essential not only because of its clinical applications but also for a wide range of biochemical experiments. A comprehensive method for the quantification of iron saturation in lactoferrin preparations was developed to obtain a calibration curve enabling the determination of iron saturation levels relying exclusively on the defined ratio of absorbances at 280 and 466 nm (A _280/466). To achieve this goal, selected techniques such as spectrophotometry, ELISA, and ICP-MS were combined. The ability to obtain samples of lactoferrin with determination of its iron content in a simple and fast way has been proven to be very useful. Furthermore, a similar approach could easily be implemented to facilitate the determination of iron saturation level for other metalloproteins in which metal binding results in the appearance of a distinct band in the visible part of the spectrum.