Fast isoelectric focusing and antipeptide antibodies for detecting bovine casein in adulterated water buffalo milk and derived mozzarella cheese

Plasmin hydrolysis of water buffalo casein (CN) can liberate a peptide comigrating with bovine γ2-CN. Occurrence of this peptide may lead to false-positive detection of cow’s milk for a genuine water buffalo cheese when it is analyzed by applying a fast version of the European official method for detecting bovine casein in water buffalo cheese. After isoelectric focusing of CN plasminolysates, performed according to the official method, immunoblot analysis with antipeptide antibodies was assayed to distinguish between γ2-CN and the interfering bovine γ2-CN-like peptide. Small, synthetic peptides containing partial sequences of bovine γ2-CN were used as immunogens for antipeptide antibodies raised in rabbits. The antibody preparation directed toward the synthetic peptide containing the first five amino acid residues of γ2-CN cross-reacted with native and in vitro generated γ2-CN from bovine and water buffalo CN, but it did not recognize the bovine γ2-CN-like band in the electrophoretic profile of pure water buffalo CN.