Division 6.1.1 Isolation of caseinsF1

Weigh the amount equivalent to 5 g dry mass of cheese or the reference standards into a 100 ml centrifuge tube, add 60 ml distilled water and homogenize with a rod homogenizer (8 000 to 10 000 rpm). Adjust to pH 4,6 with dil. acetic acid (4.5.1) and centrifuge (5 minutes, 3 000 g). Decant the fat and whey, homogenize the residue at 20 000 rpm in 40 ml distilled water adjusted to pH 4,5 with dil. acetic acid (4.5.1), add 20 ml dichloromethane (4.5.2), homogenize again and centrifuge (5 minutes, 3 000 g). Remove the casein layer that lies between the aqueous and organic phases (see Figure 2) with a spatula and decant off both phases. Rehomogenise the casein in 40 ml distilled water (see above) and 20 ml dichloromethane (4.5.2) and centrifuge. Repeat this procedure until both extraction phases are colourless (two to three times). Homogenize the protein residue with 50 ml acetone (4.5.3) and filter through a medium-speed folded filter paper. Wash the residue on the filter with two separate 25 ml portions of acetone each time and allow to dry in the air or a stream of nitrogen, then pulverize finely in a mortar.