Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis of the biological functions of Moringa oleifera seed proteins provides insights regarding the milk-clotting proteases.

In this study, label-free quantitative proteomics was used to investigate the biological functions of M. oleifera seed proteins, which resulted in the identification of milk-clotting proteases. In total, 921 proteins were identified, and proteins within the molecular weight range of 30-50 kDa were abundant. The identified proteins were mainly involved in catalytic activity and metabolic processes associated with carbohydrate and protein metabolism, among which, proteases in the observed molecular weight range could possibly be responsible for the previously reported milk-clotting activity. An aspartic-type endopeptidase with molecular mass of 45,517 Da was purified from M. oleifera seeds using ammonium sulfate precipitation, ultrafiltration, and preparative high performance liquid chromatography, and was characterized using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)/MS. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that the purified protease exhibited hydrolase activity and was involved in several metabolic pathways, which further confirmed that proteomic analysis can assist in the purification of the milk-clotting protease. The optimal temperature and pH required for protease activity were 60 °C and 5.0, respectively. The high thermal stability and good pH stability of the protease indicated that it can be used in the dairy industry.