Centre of Excellence for Molecular Food Sciences & Department of Biochemistry, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Chemistry, Belgrade, Serbia.
Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire Léon-Brillouin, UMR12 CEA-CNRS, CEA-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette CEDEX, France.
Food Chem. 2022 Apr 16;374:131780. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.131780. Epub 2021 Dec 6.
This study aimed to characterise the stability of R-phycoerythrin (R-PE), a vivid natural colourant with emerging potential for application in the food industry. High-quality (A/A ≥ 5), native (α-helix content 75%) R-PE was purified from commercial dried Nori (Porphyra sp.) flakes. Thermal unfolding revealed two transitions (at 56 and 72 °C), ascribed to different protein subunits. Contrary to elevated temperature, high-pressure (HP) treatment showed significant advantages: The R-PE unfolding was partly reversible and the colour bleaching was minimal. Binding of Cu (6.3 × 10 M) and Zn (1.7 × 10 M) influenced conformational changes in the protein tetrapyrrole chromophore without affecting R-PE structure and stability (colour). The results give new insights into the stability of R-PE suggesting its usefulness for the replacement of toxic synthetic dyes. Preservation of the red colour of R-PE could be considered in fortified food and beverages by HP processing. R-PE may act as a biosensor for Cu in aquatic systems.
本研究旨在描述 R-藻红蛋白（R-PE）的稳定性，R-PE 是一种具有应用于食品工业潜力的鲜艳天然着色剂。从商业干紫菜（紫菜属）片中纯化出高质量（A/A≥5）、天然（α-螺旋含量为 75%）的 R-PE。热展开显示出两个转变（在 56 和 72°C），归因于不同的蛋白质亚基。与高温相反，高压（HP）处理具有显著优势：R-PE 的展开部分是可逆的，颜色漂白最小。Cu（6.3×10 M）和 Zn（1.7×10 M）的结合影响蛋白质四吡咯发色团的构象变化，而不影响 R-PE 的结构和稳定性（颜色）。这些结果为 R-PE 的稳定性提供了新的见解，表明其可用于替代有毒的合成染料。通过 HP 处理，可在强化食品和饮料中考虑保持 R-PE 的红色。R-PE 可在水系统中用作 Cu 的生物传感器。
