Proteolysis of _s-Casein as a Marker of Grana Padano Cheese Ripening

¹ Inst. Pharmacological Sciences, University of Milan, Italy
² Inst. Microbiology, University of Brescia, Italy
³ Centro di Studio per l'Alimentazione degli, Animali in Produzione Zootecnica, Ivrea, Italy

Since casein proteolysis has a critical role in defining the typical characteristics of Grana Padano cheese, we evaluated the hydrolysis of _s-casein during the ripening process. Thanks to the high specificity of the anti-_s(_s1 + _s2)-casein monoclonal antibody and amino acid sequence determination, it was possible to identify three main _s-casein-derived polypeptides in cheese: _a, _b, and _c. Their production by the three enzymes most involved in cheese proteolysis (pepsin, chymosin, and plasmin) was evaluated by performing in vitro digestions. Data showed that _a was released in cheese mainly by the chymosin attack, while _b and _c were due to the action of plasmin. A significant correlation between the abundance of some polypeptides and ripening process was shown.

Key Words: _s-casein • cheese • proteolysis • ripening

Submitted on May 1, 2000
Accepted on July 13, 2000

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