Conjugates of bovine serum albumin with chitin oligosaccharides prepared through the Maillard reaction.

Chitin neoglycoconjugates (BSA-CO) were obtained by the conjugation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with chitin oligosaccharides (CO) through the Maillard reaction (nonenzymatic glycation). CO produced by acid hydrolysis of chitin were fractionated using an ultrafiltration membrane system (1-3 kDa cutoff). The Maillard reaction was carried out by heating a freeze-dried mixture containing BSA and CO at 60 °C (under 43% relative humidity for 6 and 12 h). BSA-CO were characterized by available amino groups content, intrinsic tryptophan emission spectra, gel electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry. Biological assays included interaction with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and with bacterial adhesins of Escherichia coli K88+ and Salmonella choleraesuis. Glycation of BSA was revealed by reduction of available amino groups and fluorescence intensity and also retarded migration through SDS-PAGE. Conjugation of BSA with chitin oligomers appeared to be time dependent and was confirmed by mass spectrometry, by which molecular mass increase for monomers and dimers was observed. Monomers were estimated to contain either one or two glycation sites (at 6 and 12 h of treatment, respectively), with one or two tetrasaccharide units attached. Consequently, dimers showed two or four glycation sites. BSA-CO presented biological recognition by WGA and E. coli K88+ and S. cholerasuis adhesins. The strategy used in this work represents a simple method to obtain glycoconjugates to study applications involving protein-carbohydrate recognition.