PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J R Whitaker

Publications and source records attributed to J R Whitaker.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1978

A method for improving the nutritional value of food proteins: covalent attachment of amino acids.

Casein was modified by use of a series of active N-hydroxy-succinimide esters of amino acids in order to study the effects of new covalently linked hydrophobic or hydrophilic groups on its physical and nutritional properties. Tryptophan was used to determine the best conditions for the chemical reaction and to study the stability of the newly formed amide linkage (isopeptide bond). Casein was also modified with glycine, alanine, methionine, N-acetyl-methionine and aspartic acid. In vitro hydrolysis studies using bovine chymotrypsin, pancreatine and rat bile-pancreatic juice indicated that digestibility of the modified casein derivatives was lower than that of the untreated protein. Since solubility was not significantly changed (except for tryptophyl-casein), the decreased in vitro digestibility is probably due to other factors such as steric hindrance as well as decrease in lysine residues available to trypsin in pancreatin and rat pancreatic juice. Plasma amino acid patterns for rats fed a 10% protein diet of highly modified glycyl-casein or methionyl-casein suggest that the epsilon-aminolysyl derivatives are readily hydrolyzed in vivo. This was confirmed by the growth response of rats fed the following isonitrogenous diets (protein source listed only): casein, casein + free methionine, methionyl-casein, casein + free N-acetyl-methionine, N-acety-methionyl-casein. Covalently attached methionine appeared to be as readily available as the free amino acid; bound N-acetyl-methionine was also available but to a slightly lower extent. Although this study is preliminary, the covalent attachment of amino acids to proteins appears to be a promising method for improving the biological value of food proteins.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1978

Effect of reductive alkylation of the epsilon-amino group of lysyl redsidues of casein on its nutritive value in rats.

Casein epsilon-aminolysyl residues were converted to the methyl (and dimethyl), isopropyl or cyclopentyl derivatives in high yield with formaldehyde, acetone or cyclopentanone, respectively, in the presence of sodium borohydride. When incorporated into diets at 10% as the sole protein source, the chemically modified caseins failed to support growth of young rats. Methyl casein did, however, support limited growth after about 5 days. Plasma threonine levels increased and lysine levels decreased markedly in rats fed the alkyl caseins. The respective alkyllsine derivatives were present in plasma and urine. In another experiment, nearly normal or normal growth was obtained by feeding lysine-supplemented methyl or isopropyl casein, respectively. A preparation of partially methylated casein, containing approximately equal amounts of monomethyl- and dimethyllysines, supported normal rat growth. These results demonstrate that lysine deficiency was produced by feeding highly alkylated caseins. Digestibility of the chemically modified caseins in vivo was not affected, although in vitro studies with trypsin and alpha-chymotrypsin showed lowered digestibility. Since no apparent toxicity was observed limited methylation of food proteins may be useful for protection of lysyl residues against deteriorative reactions during processing and storage.

Acetone↗
PubMed1977

Isolation and characterization of sheep pepsin.

Sheep pepsin was isolated (approx. 120-fold purification) from aqueous abomasal homogenates by (1) pH fractionation, (2) chromatography on Sepharose 4B-poly-L-lysine columns and (3) gel filtration on Sephadex G-100. The enzyme had mol.wt. approx. 34000, N-terminal valine and C-terminal alanine. The amino acid composition of sheep pepsin was generally similar to that of pig and ox pepsins, with a very low content of basic residues and a high content of acidic and hydroxy-amino acids. The pH optimum for NN-dimethyl-casein and NN-dimethyl-haemoglobin as substrates was approx. 1.8. The Km and kcat. for NN-dimethyl-haemoglobin were 46micronM and 1100min-1 respectively, and for NN-dimethyl-casein the corresponding parameters were 50micronM and 420min-1. These values were generally similar to those for pig and ox pepsins. At the pH optimum of 4.6, the sheep pepsin was about 50% as active on benzyloxycarbonyl-L-histidyl-L-phenyl-alanyl-L-tryptophan ethyl ester as was pig pepsin. The pH optimum for the hydrolysis of N-acetyl-L-phenylalanyl-L-di-iodotyrosine by sheep, ox and pig pepsins was approx. 1.85.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1975

Selection of strain, growth conditions, and extraction procedures for optimum production of lactase from Kluyveromyces fragilis.

Forty-one strains of Kluyveromyces fragilis (Jörgensen) van der Walt 1909 varied 60-fold in ability to produce lactase (beta-galactosidase). The four best strains were UCD No. 55-31 (Northern Regional Research Center NRRL Y-1196), UCD No. C21(-), UCD No. 72-297(-), and UCD No. 55-61 (NRRL Y-1109). Biosynthesis of lactase during the growth of K. fragilis strain UCD No. 55-61 was followed on both lactose and sweet whey media. Maximum enzyme yield was obtained at the beginning of the stationary phase of growth. Bets lactase yields from K. fragilis UCD No. 55-61 were obtained with 15% lactose and an aeration rate of at least .2 mmol oxygen/liter per min. Supplementary growth factors were unneccessary for good lactase yeilds when yeast was grown on whey media. Best extraction of lactase from fresh yeast cells was obtained by toluene autolysis (2% vol/vol) at 37 C in .1 M potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, containing .1 mM manganese chloride and .5 mM magnesium sulfate. The enzyme was concentrated and purified partially by acetone precipitation. At least 95% of the enzyme activity of the concentrated solution was retained after storage for 7 days at 22 C, for 3 wk at 4 C, and for 6 wk at -20 C.

Aerobiosis↗