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Identification of proteins from wild cardoon flowers (Cynara cardunculus L.) by a proteomic approach

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Chemical Biology

Abstract

Proteomic approach was applied to identify total proteins, particularly the enzymatic content, from wild cardoon flowers. As the selection of an appropriate sample preparation method is the key for getting reliable results, two different extraction/precipitation methods (trichloroacetic acid and phenol/ammonium acetate) were tested on fresh and lyophilized flowers. After two-dimensional electrophoresis (2D–E) separations, a better protein pattern was obtained after phenol extraction from lyophilized flowers. Only 46 % of the total analyzed spots resulted in a protein identification by mass spectrometry MALDI-TOF. Four proteases (cardosins A, E, G, and H), which have become a subject of great interest in dairy technology, were identified. They presented molecular weights and isoelectric points very close and high levels of homology between matched peptides sequences. The absence of the other cardosins (B, C, D, and F) could be an advantage, as it reduces the excessive proteolytic activity that causes bitter flavors and texture defects, during cheese making.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Wallonie-Bruxelles International, University of Liège and University of Sfax for financial support to this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Liège, Gembloux Agro-Bio tech, Laboratory of Food Science and Formulation, Passage des Déportés 2, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium

    Amal Ben Amira & Christophe Blecker

  2. University of Sfax, National Engineering School of Sfax, Laboratory of Food Analysis, Soukra Road, BP, W-3038, Sfax, Tunisia

    Amal Ben Amira, Souhail Besbes & Hamadi Attia

  3. University of Liège, Gembloux Agro-Biotech, Laboratory of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Passage des Déportés 2, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium

    Julien Bauwens & Frédéric Francis

  4. University of Liège, Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, B6 Building, 4000, Liège, Belgium

    Edwin De Pauw

Authors
  1. Amal Ben Amira
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  2. Julien Bauwens
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  3. Edwin De Pauw
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  4. Souhail Besbes
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  7. Christophe Blecker
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Correspondence to Amal Ben Amira.

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Ben Amira, A., Bauwens, J., De Pauw, E. et al. Identification of proteins from wild cardoon flowers (Cynara cardunculus L.) by a proteomic approach. J Chem Biol 10, 25–33 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12154-016-0161-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12154-016-0161-9

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