Unveiling the molecular interplay: phosvitin as a stabilizer of lactoferrin against thermal denaturation

Lactoferrin (LF) is susceptible to heat-induced denaturation and aggregation, This study shows that phosvitin (PSV) effectively enhance the thermal stability and suppresses heat-induced denaturation of LF by forming LF-PSV complexes utilizing PSV as a chaperone-like stabilizer. DSC measurements reveal that T_d of the complexes increased by up to 16 °C. Zeta potential and ITC demonstrate that the binding between LF and PSV is primarily driven by electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding, resulting in complexes with a zeta potential of -30 mV, reduced surface hydrophobicity and moderate colloidal stability. Free sulfhydryl content results indicated covalent interactions may also contribute during thermal treatment. Overall, PSV stabilizes LF not only through non-covalent interactions, including increased electrostatic repulsion, formation of a three-dimensional barrier protective shell, and embedding of hydrophobic groups, but also through covalent interactions. These findings elucidate the molecular basis for improved LF stability and pave the way for its broader application in functional foods.