Effects of high hydrostatic pressure treatments on haemagglutination activity and structural conformations of phytohemagglutinin from red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Red kidney beans were subjected to high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment (50, 150, 250, 350, 450 MPa) and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) was then extracted by affinity chromatography. It appeared that HHP treatment could increase crude extract yield and decrease its haemagglutination activity. For purified samples, PHA yield was not affected at pressures <450 MPa while the haemagglutination activity was noticeably reduced at 450 MPa. The structural changes were investigated using electrophoresis, size exclusion chromatography (SEC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and differencial scanning calorimetry (DSC). Electrophoresis and SEC profiles revealed a new high molecular weight polymer after 450 MPa treatment. At pressures <450 MPa, FTIR showed an increase in β-sheet structure and a decrease in α-helix. At 450 MPa, the bands at 1688 cm−1, representing aggregate strands and random coils, increased. The conclusions are that pressures <450 MPa can cause PHA unfolding and induce PHA aggregation at 450 MPa.