Degradation of growth hormone using pasteurization and digestion

CHED 809

Laura M Echard, laura.echard@email.stvincent.edu and Matthew A. Fisher, matt.fisher@email.stvincent.edu. Department of Chemistry, Saint Vincent College, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650
For many years dairy farmers have been using bovine growth hormone to get their cows to grow bigger and produce more quantities of milk. This research focuses on whether gastric acid, trypsin, and chymotrypsin and pasteurization can fully degrade bovine growth hormone. This question is important in evaluating the safety of using bovine growth hormone in milk production for human consumption. To test this question I am taking growth hormone (from a pig pituitary) and placing it in various combinations of gastric acid, trypsin, and chymotrypsin and through a system of pasteurization. After running the digestion and pasteurization the samples are analyzed by SDS gel electrophoresis to see if any degradation has taken place.
 

Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Biochemistry
2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster

Division of Chemical Education

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008