UV-B illumination facilitates aggregation of alpha-lactalbumin (α-LA) by intramolecular disulfide bond cleavage followed by intermolecular thiol-disulfide exchange reactions. However, long term exposure to UV-B illumination may induce undesired oxidative modifications of amino acid residues in the protein. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of UV-induced aggregation of apo-α-LA (a calcium-depleted form of α-LA) under aerobic and anaerobic conditions and by addition of tryptophan (Trp) as a photosensitizer. The addition of Trp to apo-α-LA illuminated under anaerobic conditions facilitated the highest level of free thiol release and disulfide-mediated aggregation as compared to without addition of Trp under both anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Addition of Trp under aerobic condition resulted in the lowest level of free thiols and disulfide-mediated aggregation and the aerobic conditions caused oxidation of the free Trp with formation of kynurenine and 5-hydroxy-Trp. Minor levels of the Trp oxidation product, 3-hydroxy-kynurenine (2% converted from Trp), was formed in apo-α-LA with added Trp under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions after UV-B treatment.
Keywords: UV illumination; aggregation; photooxidation; tryptophan; whey protein.