Covalent bonding of 4-methylcatechol to β-lactoglobulin results in the release of cysteine-4-methylcatechol adducts after in vitro digestion

Khadija Waqar, Kasper Engholm-Keller, Marcel S. Joehnke, Dereck E.W. Chatterton, Mahesha M. Poojary, Marianne N. Lund*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

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Abstract

Protein-polyphenol adducts are formed upon covalent bonding between oxidized polyphenols and proteins. 4-Methylcatechol (4MC) is a polyphenol with origin in coffee and is oxidized to 4-methylbenzoquinone (4MBQ) under conditions used during food processing. The present study characterizes 4MBQ-induced covalent modifications on β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) from bovine milk, (henceforth β-LQ) and the effect on protein digestibility. Significant thiol and amine loss was found in β-LQ compared to β-LG. Site-specific 4MBQ-induced modifications were identified on Cys, Lys, Arg, His and Trp in β-LQ. No significant differences between β-LG and β-LQ on in vitro digestibility were observed by assessment with SDS-PAGE, degree of hydrolysis and LC-MS/MS unmodified peptide intensities. Cys-4MC adduct (1.7 ± 0.1 µmol/g) was released from β-LQ after in vitro digestion. Thus, it is relevant to investigate how released Cys-4MC adducts are absorbed in vivo in future studies.

Original languageEnglish
Article number133775
JournalFood Chemistry
Volume397
Number of pages9
ISSN0308-8146
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

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Keywords

  • 4-methylbenzoquinone
  • Amino acid-polyphenol adducts
  • Michael addition reaction
  • Polyphenols
  • Protein-polyphenol bonding
  • Whey protein

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