Micro-brews
Beer is one of the world?s oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverages, and a recent study of its proteome may provide brewers with ways to make it even better.
Beer is one of the world’s oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverages, and a recent study of its proteome may provide brewers with ways to make it even better.
The beer proteome describes the residual proteins remaining in the beer after the brewing process. They play a role in the formation, texture and stability of the foam head, an important characteristic in the eyes of many consumers. A study published in the Journal of Proteome Research1 aims to use proteomic analysis to benefit brewers.
The proteome was evaluated via prior capture with combinatorial peptide ligand libraries (CPLL) at three different pH values. Nano-LC–MS–MS analysis of the recovered fractions identified 20 different barley protein families and two maize proteins, as well as 40 unique yeast proteins.
According to the researchers, the results show the unique performance of the CPLL technique for offering a unique increment in sensitivity for low- to very-low abundance species, especially regarding the 40 yeast proteins, of which previous investigations have only reported two.
The researchers hope that these findings may help brewers devise fermentation processes that minimize the release of yeast proteins that alter the flavour, or to maximize their release for species that improve the beer’s aroma.
1. E. Fasoli et al., J. Proteome Res., 9(10), 5262–5269 (2010).
This story originally appeared in The Column. Click here to view that issue.
Analytical Challenges in Measuring Migration from Food Contact Materials
November 2nd 2015Food contact materials contain low molecular weight additives and processing aids which can migrate into foods leading to trace levels of contamination. Food safety is ensured through regulations, comprising compositional controls and migration limits, which present a significant analytical challenge to the food industry to ensure compliance and demonstrate due diligence. Of the various analytical approaches, LC-MS/MS has proved to be an essential tool in monitoring migration of target compounds into foods, and more sophisticated approaches such as LC-high resolution MS (Orbitrap) are being increasingly used for untargeted analysis to monitor non-intentionally added substances. This podcast will provide an overview to this area, illustrated with various applications showing current approaches being employed.
Using Chromatography to Study Microplastics in Food: An Interview with Jose Bernal
December 16th 2024LCGC International sat down with Jose Bernal to discuss his latest research in using pyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC–MS) and other chromatographic techniques in studying microplastics in food analysis.
The Use of SPME and GC×GC in Food Analysis: An Interview with Giorgia Purcaro
December 16th 2024LCGC International sat down with Giorgia Purcaro of the University of Liege to discuss the impact that solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and comprehensive multidimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) is having on food analysis.
