Analysis of the Endogenous Peptidomes of Different Infant Formula Types and Human Milk

Evaluation of UHT milk spoilage caused by proteases from psychrophilic bacteria based on peptidomics

The quality issues of ultra-high-temperature (UHT) milk, such as protein hydrolysis and aging gels throughout shelf life, are caused by proteases from psychrophilic bacteria. However, existing enzyme activity detection techniques have low sensitivity and cannot accomplish the detection of product deterioration caused by low enzyme activity. In this study, an attempt was made to analyze the relationship between enzymatically cleaved peptides and product quality using peptidomics techniques. The impact of psychrophilic bacteria proteases on the quality of UHT milk was investigated based on peptidomics by exogenously adding proteases. The results indicated that the protease activity and protein hydrolysis increased significantly in UHT milk over the storage period. Through peptidomic analysis, 2479 peptides were identified, in which 32 proteins linked to the identified peptides. 17 potential marker peptides, including αS 1 -casein143-156, β-lactoglobulin99-108, and β-casein39-66, were screened. The correlation of all identified peptides with protease activity and protein hydrolysis was explored by the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) method. The peptidomics technology helps to study the release or degradation of peptides in UHT milk during storage, which can be applied to monitor the shelf life of UHT milk and predict spoilage.

Proteomics and Peptidomics As a Tool to Compare the Proteins and Endogenous Peptides in Human, Cow, and Donkey Milk

Cow's milk is the most widely used ingredient in infant formulas. However, its specific protein composition can cause allergic reactions. Finding alternatives to replace cow's milk and fill the nutritional gap with human milk is essential for the health of infants. Proteomic and peptidomic techniques have supported the elucidation of milk's nutritional ingredients. Recently, omics approaches have attracted increasing interest in the investigation of milk because of their high throughput, precision, sensitivity, and reproducibility. This review offers a significant overview of recent developments in proteomics and peptidomics used to study the differences in human, cow, and donkey milk. All three types of milks were identified to have critical biological functions in human health, particularly in infants. Donkey milk proteins were closer in composition to human milk, were less likely to cause allergic reactions, and may be developed as novel raw materials for formula milk powders.

High-Temperature, Solid-Phase Reaction of α-Amino Groups in Peptides with Lactose and Glucose: An Alternative Mechanism Leading to an α-Ketoacyl Derivative

The reaction of proteins with reducing sugars results in the formation of Amadori products, which involves the N-terminal group and/or ε-amino group of the lysine side chain. However, less attention has been given to the reactivity of the N-terminus of a peptide chain under similar conditions. In our work, we focused on the reaction of the α-amino group of peptides in the presence of a reducing sugar, specifically lactose. We optimized the reaction conditions of model peptides with lactose in the solid phase and showed that temperatures above 120 °C lead to the deamination of the N-terminal amino acid moiety, ultimately resulting in α-ketoacids. We carried out detailed studies to confirm the structure of the deaminated product using analytical methods such as ESI-MS and LC-MS/MS, as well as chemical methods that involved the reduction of the carbonyl group combined with isotopic exchange and the reactivity of the carbonyl group with the hydroxylamine derivative. The structure of the reaction product was also confirmed by chemical synthesis. We suggested plausible mechanisms for the formation of the deaminated product and considered the probable path of its formation. Our aim was to determine whether the reaction proceeds according to the Strecker-based mechanism and direct imine isomerization by carrying out reactions of model peptides in the presence of lactose under aerobic and anaerobic conditions and comparing the results obtained.

Differentiating ultra-high temperature milk and reconstituted milk using an untargeted peptidomic approach with chemometrics

An untargeted peptide profiling based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of flight mass spectrometry with chemometrics was performed to differentiate ultra-high temperature processed milk and reconstituted milk. Thirty-three marker peptides were identified, primarily released from the C- or N-terminal of β-casein and α_s1-casein. These peptides were produced by heating and protease hydrolysis. Additional heating and storage time experiments showed that the level of 18 marker peptides increased with heat load and storage time, whereas 15 peptides were solely influenced by heat load. The peptides from β-casein showed higher sensitivity to thermal stress compared to those from α_s1-casein. Additionally, eight modified peptides of casein were identified as indicators of milk thermal processing. The identified marker peptides can distinguish ultra-high temperature processed milk and reconstituted milk, and are suitable for monitoring heating processes and storage of milk.