Determination of A2 β-casein and total β-casein in cow milk and milk powder by capillary zone electrophoresis

β-casein (β-CN) is one of the major casein proteins in cow milk. There are 13 different variants documented for β-CN in cow milk, among which A1 and A2 are the major variants. The separation and quantitation of A2 β-CN are imperative for A2 dairy products. A new capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method with UV detection at 214 nm was established for the separation and quantification of the A2 variant and total β-CN content in cow milk and milk powders. The separation of β-CN variants was achieved on bare fused silica capillaries (50 μm×30/40 cm (effective/total length)). The separation buffer was a mixture of 4 mol/L urea, 0.2% (mass fraction) hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, 140 mmol/L citric acid, and 50 mmol/L disodium hydrogen phosphate buffer (pH 2.7). The corrected peak areas and the concentrations of total β-CN and the A2 variant showed good linearity, with correlation coefficients (r2) ranging from 0.9968 to 0.9997. The intra-day precisions for A2 β-CN and total β-CN determination in four samples (two pasteurized milk samples and two milk powder samples) were in the ranges of 2.4%-4.7% and 2.6%-4.8%, respectively. The inter-day precisions for A2 β-CN and total β-CN determination in four samples were in the ranges of 4.0%-6.3% and 3.9%-6.7%, respectively. The recoveries of A2 and total β-CN ranged from 85.5% to 106.4%. With the established CZE method, the A2 β-CN variant and total β-CN protein in liquid and powder bovine milk products could be separated and accurately quantified. By calculating the A2 β-CN content in the total β-CN, the quality of A2 dairy products can be evaluated, and this in turn would aid in the protection of consumer rights.