22 research outputs found
Investigations on the Effect of Fatty Acid Additives on Casein Micelles: Role of Ethylenic Unsaturation on the Interaction and Structural Diversity
Casein,
one of the major constituent of milk protein, is considered
to be a good candidate for oral drug delivery system. Also, milk transports
various essential fatty acid to blood through dietary supplements.
In this study, we have explored the alteration in the structural characteristic
in terms of the modulations in the microenvironment of the protein
in the presence of different types of fatty acids. Herein, we have
observed that the unsaturation of fatty acids mostly affects the structure
of casein micelles (CMs) by impinging upon the hydrophobic force of
interaction following a decrease in the electrostatic interaction
of various amino acid unit. Alteration of such forces is responsible
for the increase in the aggregate size, modification in the protein
secondary structure, and different morphology of CMs. Fluorescence
behavior of 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-methyl-6-(4-dimethylaminostyryl)-4<i>H</i>-pyran indicates that the rigidity of the microenvironment
is the main characteristic of the fatty acid binding, and the binding
constant increases with the fatty acid chain length for saturated
fatty acid or with the introduction of unsaturation onto it. Fluorescence
lifetime imaging microscopy study indicates that the microstructure
of CMs becomes more compact in the presence of unsaturated fatty acids,
and this is also responsible for the increase in the diffusion time
of the probe. Moreover, decrease in the fluorescence of extrinsic
probe 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonate with the addition of unsaturated
fatty acid reveals that these fatty acids alter the electrostatic
interaction between casein units, more specifically in case of the
surface-bound κ-casein. Therefore, this study provides a very
useful information on the binding of fatty acids and helps to evaluate
other fatty acid, as well as different small molecules binding in
the applicative medicinal purpose