Protein-Phenolic Interactions in Food

Interest in protein-phenol interactions in biological systems has increased substantially during the past two decades. More recently, there has been particular interest in protein–phenol interactions in food systems, as a result of widespread reports on the roles of phenolic compounds in nutrition and health. Many phenolic compounds are now recognized for their nutraceutical properties. The biochemical, nutritional and immunological properties of these phenolic compounds, can be associated with their relationship with certain proteins. A good example is the recent recognition of soybean proteins containing isoflavones, for their health benefits and for prevention of certain diseases. In order to understand protein-phenol relationships, it is essential to determine the nature of the chemical/physicochemical interactions between the proteins and the biologically active phenols. The overall objective of our study was to use a model system to investigate the mode of interaction between selected food proteins and phenolic compounds. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) and soybean glycinin were used with two phenolic compounds: Gallic acid (3, 4, 5-trihydroxybenzoic acid) and biochanin-A (5, 7-dihydroxy 4-methoxy isoflavone). The interactions were investigated at incubation temperatures of 35ºC, 45ºC and 55ºC at pH 5, 7 and 9. SDS and Nativ