Impact of Physicochemical Modifications in Casein Promoted by UV-C on the Peptide Profile of Gastric Digestion and the Transepithelial Transport of Peptides

Aline Teixeira do Brasil Brasil Morais, Sinara T.B. Morais, Jessica F. Feitor, Willy Glen Santos, Lucas Gomes da Silva Catunda, Markus Walkling-Ribeiro, Lilia Ahrne*, Daniel R. Cardoso*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Caseins are the main proteins in milk, and their structure and spatial conformation are responsible for their slow digestion rate. The release of bioactive and β-casomorphin peptides from casein digestion may induce allergic responses during consumption. Spectroscopic techniques were used to observe the structural changes in casein conformation induced by Ultraviolet light irradiation (UV-C). Raman spectroscopy results showed more pronounced peaks at 618 and 640 cm-1 for phenylalanine and tyrosine moieties of the photolyzed micellar casein, respectively, suggesting changes in the micelle structure. The decrease in the intensity of Raman signals for tryptophan and tyrosine corroborates to the UV-C-induced modifications of the micelle structure. Particle size distribution showed a decrease in the average micelle size after 15 min of UV-C exposure, while low-temperature, long-time (LTLT) pasteurization led to the formation of large aggregates, as observed by atomic force microscopy. UV-C did not impact the formation or transport of peptides, as observed by using the Caco-2 cell as a model for peptide absorption. However, the absence of the opioid peptide SRYPSY from κ-casein and only 20% of the concentration of opioid peptide RYLGY were noted. This work demonstrated that UV-C can be utilized to induce the physicochemical modification of dairy products, promoting a higher digestion rate and reducing allergenicity.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Volume71
Issue number19
Pages (from-to)7495–7507
ISSN0021-8561
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 American Chemical Society.

Keywords

  • in vitro protein digestibility
  • micellar casein isolate
  • particle size and spectroscopic analyses
  • peptide sequencing
  • ultraviolet light irradiation

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