Uncommonly thorough hydrolysis of peptides during ripening of Ragusano cheese revealed by tandem mass spectrometry

J Agric Food Chem. 2011 Dec 14;59(23):12443-52. doi: 10.1021/jf2027268. Epub 2011 Nov 10.

Abstract

Ragusano is a pasta filata cheese produced from raw milk in Sicily. The proteolysis was extensively analyzed after stretching (day 0), at 4 and 7 months of ripening through soluble nitrogen, urea-PAGE, and peptide identification by tandem mass spectrometry. After stretching, 123 peptides were identified: 72 arising from β-casein, 34 from α(s1)-casein, and 17 from α(s2)-casein. The main protein splitting corresponded to the action of plasmin, chymosin, cathepsin D, cell envelope proteinase, and peptidase activities of lactic acid bacteria. Unlike other types of cheeses, <10% residual β- and α(s)-caseins remained intact at 7 months, indicating original network organization based on large casein fragments. The number of identified soluble peptides also dramatically decreased after 4 and 7 months of ripening, to 47 and 25, respectively. Among them, bioactive peptides were found, that is, mineral carrier, antihypertensive, and immunomodulating peptides and phosphopeptides.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Caseins / chemistry
  • Caseins / metabolism
  • Cheese / analysis*
  • Chemical Phenomena
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Food Handling / methods
  • Hydrolysis
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Hydrolases / metabolism
  • Peptides / analysis*
  • Peptides / metabolism*
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry*

Substances

  • Caseins
  • Peptides
  • Peptide Hydrolases