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Pulsed Electric Field-Induced Structural Modification of Whey Protein Isolate

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Abstract

Effects of pulsed electric fields (PEF) on structural modification and surface hydrophobicity were assessed for whey protein isolate (WPI) of protein concentrations (3% and 5%) using fluorescence spectroscopy. The effects of a factorial combination of electric field intensities (12, 16, and 20 kV cm−1) and number of pulses (10, 20, and 30) on the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence intensity, extrinsic fluorescence intensity, and surface hydrophobicity of WPI were evaluated. PEF treatments of WPI resulted in increases in the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence intensity and led to 2–4-nm red shifts in emission wavelengths, indicating changes in the polarity of tryptophan residues microenvironment in whey proteins from a less polar to a more polar environment. The extrinsic fluorescence intensity of WPI increased with PEF treatments, but with 2–4-nm blue shifts, indicating partial denaturation of WPI fractions and exposure of more hydrophobic regions under these PEF treatments. Thus, under the conditions studied, PEF treatments of WPI yielded increases in surface hydrophobicity. The study confirmed that PEF treatments resulted in whey protein structure modifications. These results suggested that controlled PEF could be applied to process liquids food including WPI ingredients and modify their structure and function in order to get desired food products.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioresource Engineering, McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Ste Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada, H9X 3V9

    Bob Y. Xiang, Michael O. Ngadi & Marian V. Simpson

  2. Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Technological Institute of Durango, Durango, C.P. 34080, Mexico

    Luz A. Ochoa-Martinez

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  1. Bob Y. Xiang
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  2. Michael O. Ngadi
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  3. Luz A. Ochoa-Martinez
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  4. Marian V. Simpson
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Correspondence to Michael O. Ngadi.

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Xiang, B.Y., Ngadi, M.O., Ochoa-Martinez, L.A. et al. Pulsed Electric Field-Induced Structural Modification of Whey Protein Isolate. Food Bioprocess Technol 4, 1341–1348 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-009-0266-z

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