Lactoferrin Thermal Stabilization via Nucleic Acid Complex
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lactoferrin is unstable to heat, particularly in neutral pH conditions, leading to denaturation and loss of physiological activities, which complicates its use in food and pharmaceutical products that require heat sterilization, and existing stabilization methods either alter product pH or require large amounts of stabilizers, affecting product properties.
Innovation Solution
The addition of a nucleic acid, such as DNA or RNA derived from soft roe, and a small amount of metal like copper to lactoferrin improves its heat stability, allowing for heat sterilization without denaturation, even in neutral pH conditions, using a mass ratio of nucleic acid to lactoferrin between 0.09 and 6.3 and a molar ratio of metal to lactoferrin between 0.04 and 3.0.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lactoferrin is subjected to heat sterilization at neutral pH, then sterilization is achieved, but lactoferrin denatures and loses physiological activities
Solution Approach 1:
Nucleic acid acts as an intermediary substance that mediates between heat sterilization and lactoferrin stability. The nucleic acid forms a protective complex with lactoferrin, allowing heat sterilization to proceed while the nucleic acid shield prevents denaturation of the lactoferrin structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite system consisting of nucleic acid and lactoferrin in specific mass ratios (0.01-10). This composite material combines the heat resistance properties of nucleic acid with the physiological functions of lactoferrin, achieving both sterilization and protein stability simultaneously.
2Stability of the object's composition
If pH is adjusted to acidic range (1.0-6.5) to stabilize lactoferrin, then heat stability is improved, but product pH requirements are not met and production process becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of changing the pH parameter to achieve stability, the invention changes the compositional parameter by adding nucleic acid. This allows the system to maintain neutral pH while achieving heat stability through the protective effect of nucleic acid rather than through pH adjustment.
3Stability of the object's composition
If large amounts of stabilizers (soybean polysaccharide, xanthan gum) are added to improve heat stability, then lactoferrin stability is improved, but product viscosity and physical properties are affected
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses nucleic acid as a temporary protective agent during heat sterilization. The nucleic acid provides the necessary stability during the heat treatment process and can be present in very small amounts (mass ratio 0.01-10), avoiding the viscosity problems associated with large amounts of polysaccharide stabilizers.
4Productivity
If lactoferrin is heated at 62.5°C for 30 minutes or 70°C for 15 minutes at neutral pH, then heat treatment is completed, but physiological activities are almost or completely lost
Solution Approach 1:
The nucleic acid is added to lactoferrin before heat treatment to establish a protective complex. This preliminary action ensures that when heat sterilization is applied, the lactoferrin is already protected and can withstand the thermal stress without losing its physiological activities.
Data Source
AI summary
An agent for thermally stabilizing lactoferrin, which comprises a nucleic acid as an active ingredient, can be added to lactoferrin to impart thermal stability to lactoferrin. Thermally stabilized lactoferrin can be heat-sterilized at a pH value around a neutral pH value while keeping its activity.