Abstract
Blood products from slaughterhouses that are not hygienically prepared for disposal or food consumption pose a human health hazard. Gamma irradiation is an effective method for sterilization of blood products, but may introduce changes in the molecular characteristics of proteins. This study evaluated the effects of irradiation on animal plasma proteins. Bovine and porcine blood was obtained from a slaughterhouse and the plasma proteins purified and lyophilized. The secondary structure and molecular weight distribution of the plasma protein solutions and powders were examined after γ-irradiation at 1, 5, 7 and 10 kGy. Gamma-irradiation affected the molecular properties of the protein solutions, but not the protein powders. Circular dichroism and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis studies showed that increased doses of γ-irradiation decrease the ordered structure of plasma proteins in solution, and cause initial fragmentation of the polypeptide chains and subsequent aggregation.
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