Protein Determination in Powdered Milk (and Understanding of the Use andApplication of the Spectrophotometer)

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Abstract


Understanding the use of the spectrophotometer is useful when


conducting lab experiments where analysis of a solution is required to give


a numerical value for that solution. In situations where the


Order custom research paper on Protein Determination in Powdered Milk (and Understanding of the Use andApplication of the Spectrophotometer)


spectrophotometer is used, the Beer-Lambart equation can be used to find


the concentration of a solution when the absorbance of the solution is


known (which can be extrapolated through the use of the spectrophotometer).


The lab involves the use of a spectrophotometer to analyze the


concentration of protein in a sample of diluted milk reacted with a protein


assay reagent.


Introduction


The general subject we are studying is protein determination in


powdered milk.


We will be using a spectrophotometer, which is an instrument that uses


light energy to determine the concentration of a solute by the solutes


absorption rate. Using standardized protein concentrations and the


spectrophotometer, we will be able to determine the protein concentration


in diluted milk. The basic goal for the experiment is to find out the


concentration of protein in milk.


The subject is important to understand because understanding the


absorption spectrum of a compound or group of compounds can help identify


substance(s) present in solution. Understanding the concentration of


compounds (such as protein) is important to both commercial and domestic


applications. In areas where qualitative information is important,


spectrophotometer analysis helps quantify and qualify information. An


example of a commercial use of compound analysis which applies to domestic


use is the food information labels on the back of food products. The


labels give a numerical summary of the compounds which are contained in the


product. The current trend toward a healthier lifestyle has increased the


awareness of the public to what is being consumed.


Compounds have the ability to absorb and reflect light energy.


Adding the protein assay reagent to the protein standard causes the


solution to turn blue. Setting the spectrophotometer at the maximum


absorption wavelength for the blue form of the protein assay reagent, which


is 55nm, (Lab Manual, pg. 15) will determine the absorbance of the protein


compounds in the solution. Time affects the result of the lab because as


the amount of time passes the more the standard protein solution and the


assay reagent will react together causing the protein to turn a darker blue


thus absorbing more light.


With the varied choices of milk available, determining the


concentration of protein in milk through the spectrophotometer allows us to


compare the amount of protein that is contained in milk. The sample of


skim milk mixed with the protein assay reagent in the spectrophotometer


gave an absorbance number which can be plotted in relation to the


absorbance numbers of the standardized protein solutions. Knowing that


skim plus milk contains 11 g of protein per 8 oz of milk (milk label) and


whole milk contains 8 g per 8 oz, we predict the concentration of skim plus


to be higher than that of whole milk.


Materials and Methods


We first obtained 8 cuvets and numbered them 1 through 8 and placed


them in a test tube holder. Cuvet number 1 contained 0.1 mL of water.


Cuvette contained 0.1 ml of a protein standard with a concentration of


0. mg/ml. Cuvette contained 0.1 ml of a protein standard with a


concentration of 0.4 mg/ml. Cuvette 4 contained 0.1 ml of a protein


standard with a concentration of 0.6 mg/ml. Cuvette 5 contained 0.1 ml of


a protein standard with a concentration of 0.8 mg/ml. Cuvette 6 contained


0.1 ml of a protein standard with a concentration of 1.0 mg/ml. Cuvettes 7


and 8 contained 0.1 mL skim milk plus. Using a 5 mL transfer pipette and a


pipette bulb, place 5 ml of the protein assay reagent into all the cuvets


and cover the cuvets with parafilm. The cuvets are then inverted to allow


the reagent and the protein standard to mix. We then waited 7 minutes to


allow the solution to react. After 7 minutes, we used the


spectrophotometer and recorded the absorbance number for each of the cuvets


after zeroing and standardizing the spectrophotometer.


Results


The graph (Fig 1) shows the linear trend of the absorption rate in respect


to the concentration of the protein standard as the concentration


increases the absorbance of the protein increases. The concentration for


our sample is 56.0 mg/ml since the sample we had was diluted by a factor of


40. The value under concentration for test tubes 7 and 8 (Fig ) is the


concentration of the diluted sample. Compared to Thomas Boes, who got a


protein concentration of .4 mg/ml for whole milk, our concentration of


56.0 mg/ml shows that skim milk plus does in fact have a higher


concentration than whole milk.


Absorption Vs. Concentration


|Test tube number |Absorption |Concentration (mg/ml) |


|Blank |0 |0 |


| |0.40 |0.180 |


| |0.545 |0.61 |


|4 |0.8 |0.570 |


|5 |1.40 |0.866 |


|6 |1.60 |0.85 |


|7 |1.70 |1.04 |


|8 |1.70 |1.04 |


Fig . Table of Concentration and Absorption values for all test tubes


(test tubes -6 are standards and test tube 7 and 8 are skim milk plus


samples)


Discussion


For this experiment, we wanted to find the concentration of protein


in the skim milk compared to the whole milk knowing that an 8 oz glass of


skim milk has more protein than an 8 oz glass of whole milk. Our data did


not support our original hypothesis because we waited longer than the time


listed of five minutes. We waited 7 minutes after placing the assay


reagent into the last cuvette (number 8) then began putting the cuvets into


the spectrophotometer starting with cuvette 1. The assay reagent had more


time to react with the protein standard, changing more protein molecules to


a blue color which absorbed more of the light energy. If this experimented


were repeated, the time that we waited wouldve been shortened to the


recommended amount of five minutes.


Our standard curve will be different from others in our class because


we waited longer than most others before we analyzed the samples. Another


reason for varied results could be the human error involved in the


measurements of both the protein standard and the protein assay reagent.


When the protein standards were dropped into the cuvettes, some syringes


contained air pockets which caused less protein to be dropped into the


cuvets thereby skewing results. Many reasons exist for the varying reasons


why milk samples contained different concentrations of protein. Some milk


manufacturers add protein into their products thereby increasing the


concentration. In other instances, there might have been different volumes


of protein assay used by different groups, dying more protein molecules


which caused an increase in absorption numbers.


Reference


Seagull, Robert W. Krause, Maureen K., 00 General Biology Bio. 001


Laboratory Manual pages 8 to 16


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