Binding of flavor compounds and whey protein isolate as affected by heat and high pressure treatments.

The interactions of whey protein isolate (WPI) and flavor compounds (2-nonanone, 1-nonanal, and trans-2-nonenal) were investigated, and the influence of flavor compound structure and heat and high pressure denaturation on the interactions were determined by using headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography (GC). The binding of WPI and the flavor compounds decreased in the order trans-2-nonenal > 1-nonanal > 2-nonanone. The differences in binding can be explained with hydrophobic interactions only in the case of 2-nonanone, whereas the aldehydes, in particular trans-2-nonenal, can also react covalently. Heat and high pressure treatment affected protein-flavor interactions depending on the structure of the flavor compound. Upon both heat and high pressure denaturation, the binding of 2-nonanone to WPI decreased, while the binding of 1-nonanal remained unchanged, and the affinity for trans-2-nonenal increased rapidly. The results suggest that hydrophobic interactions are weakened upon heat or high pressure denaturation, whereas covalent interactions are enhanced.

Binding of 2-nonanone and milk proteins in aqueous model systems.

Interactions of the model flavor compound 2-nonanone with individual milk proteins, whey protein isolate (WPI), and sodium caseinate in aqueous solutions were investigated. A method to quantify the free 2-nonanone was developed using headspace solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Binding constants (K) and numbers of binding sites (n) for 2-nonanone on the individual proteins were calculated. The 2-nonanone binding capacities decreased in the order bovine serum albumin > beta-lactoglobulin > alpha-lactalbumin > alpha s1-casein > beta-casein, and the binding to WPI was stronger than the binding to sodium caseinate. All proteins appeared to have one binding site for 2-nonanone per molecule of protein at the flavor concentrations investigated, except for bovine serum albumin, which possessed two classes of binding sites. The binding mechanism is believed to involve predominantly hydrophobic interactions.