Amazonian palm Oenocarpus bataua ("patawa"): chemical and biological antioxidant activity--phytochemical composition.

In French Guiana, "diversity" within the Palm family is obvious since more than 75 species have been identified. Oenocarpus bataua Mart., called "patawa" is well known for its culinary uses whereas literature on its phytochemical composition and biological properties remains poor. This work deals with determining the antioxidant activity of this palm fruit and its polyphenol composition; Euterpe oleracea (açai) used as a reference. It turned out that patawa had a stronger antioxidant activity than açai in TEAC and FRAP tests. A similar activity was observed by DPPH assay whereas in ORAC and KRL tests, that açai showed an antioxidant activity respectively 2.6 and 1.5 fold higher than patawa. Polyphenolic composition, determined by UPLC/MS(n), would imply the presence of anthocyanins, condensed tannins, stilbenes and phenolic acids, well known for their biological activities. These results present patawa fruit as a new amazonian resource for cosmetics, food and pharmaceuticals purposes.

Identification of S-methylmethionine in Petit Manseng grapes as dimethyl sulphide precursor in wine.

A procedure for the extraction of free amino acids was applied to isolate S-methylmethionine (SMM) from late harvest Petit Manseng grapes. Grapes were destemmed and crushed, and the obtained clarified must was percolated through cation-exchange resins (Dowex 50 WX4-100). The retained compounds were eluted with ammonia solution and the extract was finally concentrated. Taking into account the potential DMS (PDMS using heat-alkaline treatment assay) of the initial grape juice used (51.5nmolmL(-1)) and the concentration factor of the extract (17.9-fold), the PDMS of the final extract (678nmolmL(-1)) gave an overall recovery of 73.5% for juice SMM. This compound was identified and quantified (484.5nmolmL(-1) relatively to [(2)H(3)]-SMM used as internal standard) by its selective detection in this extract without derivatization by MALDI-TOF-MS using instrumentation and procedures previously reported to analyze SMM in complex natural extracts. SMM and 22 other amino acids in the initial must and in the final SMM extract were also determined using a Biochrom 30 amino acid analyser with post-column ninhydrin derivatization. SMM peak identification and quantification (401.2nmolmL(-1) relatively to norleucine used as internal standard) were carried out by comparison with commercial SMM.

The effect of environmental salinity on the proteome of the sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.).

The European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax L., tolerates a range of salinities from freshwater to hyper-saline. To study differences in protein expression, fish were reared in both freshwater and seawater. After 3-month acclimation, gill and intestine epithelia were collected and the soluble protein extracted. In all, 362 spots were differentially expressed in the gills and intestines of fishes reared in seawater compared to those from freshwater. Fifty differential protein spots were excised from a colloidal Coomassie-stained gel. Nine separate protein spots were identified unambiguously by mass spectrometry and database searching. Among the six proteins over-expressed in gill cells in seawater, five were cytoskeleton proteins and one was the aromatase cytochrome P450. In gill cells under freshwater conditions, the two over-expressed proteins identified were the prolactin receptor and the major histocompatibility complex class II beta-antigen. In intestinal cells under freshwater conditions, the Iroquois homeobox protein Ziro5 was upregulated over ninefold. The expression of these proteins, their possible direct or indirect roles in the adaptation of D. labrax to salinity, and their correspondences with a previous study are discussed.

Assessment of the molecular weight distribution of tannin fractions through MALDI-TOF MS analysis of protein-tannin complexes.

An innovative mass spectrometry method was developed for determining mass distributions of tannin fractions that cannot be approached through direct MALDI-TOF analysis. It was applied to three procyanidin fractions with average degrees of polymerizations = 3, 9, and 28, respectively, and one gallotannin fraction (Tara tannin). The proposed approach consists of MALDI-TOF analysis of the soluble complexes formed between these tannin fractions and bovine serum albumin (BSA). Complexes were detected as an unresolved "hump" following the BSA signal, and spectra were mathematically processed to determine the parameters relative to the protein-tannin complexes, which are the number-average molecular weight (Mn), the weight-average molecular weight (Mw), and the polydispersity index (PI) for each tannin fraction. Regarding condensed tannins, results are consistent with those of the standard method (thiolysis followed by HPLC separation) for all tested fractions. The method was successfully applied to a hydrolyzable tannin fraction but no standard method is available for comparison.

Complexity of the human whole saliva proteome

Recent characterization of the whole saliva proteome led to contradictory picturesconcerning the complexity of its proteome. In this work, 110 proteins wereanalysed by mass spectrometry allowing the identification of 10 accessions previouslynot detected on protein two-dimensional maps, including myosin heavy chain(fast skeletal muscle, IIA and IIB), phosphatidylethanolamine binding protein,secretory actin-binding protein precursor and triosephosphate isomerase. Furthercomparison with available data demonstrated simultaneously a low diversity interms of variety of accessions and a high complexity in terms of number of proteinspots identifying the same accession, the two thirds of identified spots correspondingto amylases, cystatins and immunoglobulins. This diversity may be of interest inthe development of non invasive diagnostic tool for several disease (AU)

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Complexity of the human whole saliva proteome.

Recent characterization of the whole saliva proteome led to contradictory pictures concerning the complexity of its proteome. In this work, 110 proteins were analysed by mass spectrometry allowing the identification of 10 accessions previously not detected on protein two-dimensional maps, including myosin heavy chain (fast skeletal muscle, IIA and IIB), phosphatidylethanolamine binding protein, secretory actin-binding protein precursor and triosephosphate isomerase. Further comparison with available data demonstrated simultaneously a low diversity in terms of variety of accessions and a high complexity in terms of number of protein spots identifying the same accession, the two thirds of identified spots corresponding to amylases, cystatins and immunoglobulins. This diversity may be of interest in the development of non invasive diagnostic tool for several disease.

Isolation of oligopeptides from the water-soluble extract of goat cheese and their identification by mass spectrometry.

A procedure for the separation and identification of small peptides from the water-soluble fraction of a goat cheese was developed. The water-soluble extract was ultrafiltered (1000 Da membrane cutoff), and peptides were isolated by sequential chromatography: size exclusion chromatography (HPLC-grade water), anion exchange chromatography (phosphate buffer gradient), and semipreparative reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (water/acetonitrile gradient). The fractions obtained were analyzed by combined mass spectrometry methods including electrospray ionization, liquid secondary ionization, and tandem mass spectrometry to identify and to confirm the sequences of 28 tri- to octapeptides naturally appearing in goat cheese during ripening. Among these peptides, 26 are produced by degradation of caseins but do not correspond to the known specific cleavages due to chymosin. Only low correlation was found between hydrophobicity of peptides and HPLC elution time with acetonitrile gradient.