Development of a perfusion ion-exchange chromatography method for the separation of soybean proteins and its application to cultivar characterization

Purification of lectin and Kunitz trypsin inhibitor from soya seeds

The search for potent and selective therapeutic agents is progressing by the study of natural compounds in plants. Plant-derived macromolecules are considered emerging therapeutic agents and an alternative to synthetic and small molecule drugs. Where it has long been known that plants possess medicinal properties, the compounds responsible for their action are in many cases still unknown: often only whole crude plant extracts or fractionated extracts are tested for the ability to inhibit common pathogens. Here, we present a fast protein liquid chromatography method for the separation of crude plant proteins. Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI; 24.2 kDa) and lectin (31 kDa) were purified from Glycine max by liquid extraction followed by ion exchange column chromatography. The need for serial chromatographic separation steps has been eliminated by introducing more complex elution profiles hence reducing cost, time and improving recovery. The identity of KTI-A and lectin was confirmed by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF MS). Cell proliferation assays using B16F1 melanoma cells revealed that both KTI and the monomeric lectin retained some antiproliferative activity. This method could be useful for rapid and cost-effective purification of bioactive compounds from plant material.

Use of Foodomics for Control of Food Processing and Assessing of Food Safety

Food chain, food safety, and food-processing sectors face new challenges due to globalization of food chain and changes in the modern consumer preferences. In addition, gradually increasing microbial resistance, changes in climate, and human errors in food handling remain a pending barrier for the efficient global food safety management. Consequently, a need for development, validation, and implementation of rapid, sensitive, and accurate methods for assessment of food safety often termed as foodomics methods is required. Even though, the growing role of these high-throughput foodomic methods based on genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic techniques has yet to be completely acknowledged by the regulatory agencies and bodies. The sensitivity and accuracy of these methods are superior to previously used standard analytical procedures and new methods are suitable to address a number of novel requirements posed by the food production sector and global food market.

Liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry in food allergen detection

Food allergy is an important issue in the field of food safety because of the hazards for affected persons and the hygiene requirements and legal regulations imposed on the food industry. Consumer protection and law enforcement require suitable analytical techniques for the detection of allergens in foods. Immunological methods are currently preferred; however, confirmatory alternatives are needed. The determination of allergenic proteins by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry has greatly advanced in recent years, and gel-free allergenomics is becoming a routinely used approach for the identification and quantitation of food allergens. The present review provides a brief overview of the principles of proteomic procedures, various chromatographic set ups, and mass spectrometry instrumentation used in allergenomics. A compendium of published liquid chromatography methods, proteomic analyses, typical marker peptides, and quantitative assays for 14 main allergy-causing foods is also included.

CE-TOF MS analysis of complex protein hydrolyzates from genetically modified soybeans--a tool for foodomics

A CE-TOF MS proteomic approach was applied for the analysis of hydrolyzates from complex soybean protein mixtures. After CE-TOF MS method development, the new approach provided the simultaneous analysis of more than 150 peptides from the soybean protein fraction soluble in ACN-water (80/20 v/v). The method is fast (about 30 min of analysis per sample) and is characterized by a relatively low running cost. The approach was used to study the substantial equivalence between a genetically modified variety of soybean compared with its traditional counterpart. No significant differences were found between the two studied soybeans based on the protein fraction studied. The capacity of the CE-TOF MS method to analyze complex mixtures of peptides in short times opens interesting possibilities in the growing Foodomics area.

Morphology of molecular soy protein fractions in binary composite gels

We investigate the structural properties of gels of binary mixtures of the three major soy protein fractions: 11S, 7S, and 2S. Gels are formed at 25 degrees C in the presence of glucono-delta-lactone and studied using a combination of dynamic rheology and scanning electron microscopy. The theological data was then modeled using a blending-law approach that yields insights into the solvent distribution between the gelled protein fractions and first-order reaction kinetics that follow the gelation process of the single fractions and their mixtures. Gelled mixtures of 11S and 7S yielded enhanced network strength with increasing solid content; in these gels, 50% more solvent partitioned into the 11S phase as compared to that in the 7S phase. In contrast, the addition of small-molecular-weight counterpart 2S to either 11S or 7S results in a catastrophic drop in the values of the overall strength of the mixture. The unexpected phase behavior has been rationalized on the basis of the high water-holding capacity of 2S; 450% more solvent partitions preferentially into the 2S phase as compared to that in the 11S phase. As the concentration of 2S is increased relative to that of 11S or 7S, it becomes the dominant phase and entraps the polymeric segments of 11S (or 7S), thus preventing them from becoming the structural knots of the gel. In addition to the solvent distribution in the gel, the rates of gelation differ markedly between 11S and 2S (with the 11S rate of gelation being up to 2 orders of magnitude greater); a fixed 11S concentration, the rate of gelation decreases with increasing amounts of 2S, further confirming that the latter essentially becomes the dominant phase in the composite gel.

Improvement of separation efficiencies of anion-exchange chromatography using monolithic silica capillary columns modified with polyacrylates and polymethacrylates containing tertiary amino or quaternary ammonium groups

Anion-exchange (AEX) columns were prepared by on-column polymerization of acrylates and methacrylates containing tertiary amino or quaternary ammonium groups on monolithic silica in a fused silica capillary modified with anchor groups. The columns provided a plate height (H) of less than 10 microm at optimum linear velocity (u) with keeping their high permeability (K=9-12 x 10(-14) m2). Among seven kinds of AEX columns, a monolithic silica column modified with poly(2-hydroxy-3-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)propyl methacrylates) (HMPMA) showed larger retentions and better selectivities for nucleotides and inorganic anions than the others. The HMPMA column of 410 mm length produced 42,000-55,000 theoretical plates (N) at a linear velocity of 0.97 mm/s with a backpressure of 3.8 MPa. The same column could be employed for a fast separation of inorganic anions in 1.8 min at a linear velocity of 5.3 mm/s with a backpressure of 20 MPa. In terms of van Deemter plot and separation impedance, the HMPMA column showed higher performance than a conventional particle-packed AEX column. The HMPMA column showed good recovery of a protein, trypsin inhibitor, and it was applied to the separation of proteins and tryptic digest of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in a gradient elution, to provide better separation compared to a conventional particle-packed AEX column.

Perfusion reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of intact soybean proteins for the characterization of soybean cultivars

Perfusion reversed-phase HPLC (RP-HPLC)-electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was employed for the characterization of soybean cultivars through the analysis of intact soybean proteins. The similarities and differences between yellow soybeans (the most usual soybeans) and other beans with different pigmentation (green, red, and black) commercialized as soybean were investigated. Red beans commercialized as azuki that are frequently sold as red soybean were also analyzed. Separation was carried out using a perfusion column at a flow-rate of 0.5 mL/min and a gradient elution. A step-by-step procedure was used for the optimization of the mass spectrometry parameters enabling the most sensitive detection. The method was applied to the analysis of the above-mentioned beans and the main soybean proteins (11S and 7S globulins) obtained by a fractionation procedure. MS spectra obtained from every peak in the beans and in their fractions were compared observing clear differences between yellow soybeans and the other beans with different pigmentation. The identification of some soybean proteins in yellow soybeans was also possible.

Characterization and differentiation of diverse transgenic and nontransgenic soybean varieties from CE protein profiles

Nowadays, soybeans are commercialized in a wide variety of colors and tones. Moreover, some pigmented seeds are being commercialized as soybeans while, on other occasions, these seeds are labeled as mung beans, azuki beans or soybean frijoles generating confusion on their identity. In this work, CE has been applied for the first time for the characterization and differentiation of different pigmented beans commercialized as soybeans. Other seeds commercialized as azuki, mung green soybeans or soybean frijoles were also analyzed. Borate buffer (at pH 8.5) containing 20% v/v ACN was used as the separation media and solution containing ACN/water (75:25 v/v) with 0.3% v/v acetic acid was used to solubilize the proteins from the samples. A 50 cm bare fused-silica capillary was employed for obtaining adequate separations in about 12 min. The CE protein pattern observed for yellow soybeans was different from that corresponding to green and red soybeans. The seeds commercialized as black soybean presented electropherograms identical or similar to those yielded by the yellow seeds with the exception of the sample labeled as black soybeans frijoles that presented a totally different pattern. In addition, CE protein profiles obtained for azuki and mung green soybeans were very similar to those corresponding to red soybeans and green soybeans, respectively. Finally, the CE method was also applied to differentiate transgenic and nontransgenic soybean varieties. Discriminant analysis, using several protein peak areas as variable, was used to successfully classify these samples.