Application of Ion Exchange and Adsorption Techniques for Separation of Whey Proteins from Bovine Milk

Abstract

Background: The world production of whey was estimated to be more than 200 million tons per year. Although whey is an important source of proteins with high nutritional value and biotechnological importance, it is still considered as a by-product of the dairy industry with low economic value due to low industrial exploitation. There are several challenges in the separation of whey proteins: low concentration, the complexity of the material and similar properties (pI, molecular mass) of some proteins. Methods: A narrative review of all the relevant papers on the present methodologies based on ion-exchange and adsorption principles for isolation of whey proteins, known to the authors, was conducted. Results: Traditional ion-exchange techniques are widely used for the separation and purification of the bovine whey proteins. These methodologies, based on the anion or cation chromatographic procedures, as well as combination of aforementioned techniques are still preferential methods for the isolation of the whey proteins on the laboratory scale. However, more recent research on ion exchange membranes for this purpose has been introduced, with promising potential to be applied on the pilot industrial scale. Newly developed methodologies based either on the ion-exchange separation (for example: simulated moving bed chromatography, expanded bed adsorption, magnetic ion exchangers, etc.) or adsorption (for example: adsorption on hydroxyapatite or activated carbon, or molecular imprinting) are promising approaches for scaling up of the whey proteins’ purification processes. Conclusion: Many procedures based on ion exchange are successfully implemented for separation and purification of whey proteins, providing protein preparations of moderate-to-high yield and satisfactory purity. However, the authors anticipate further development of adsorption-based methodologies for separation of whey proteins by targeting the differences in proteins’ structures rather than targeting the differences in molecular masses and pI. The complex composite multilayered matrices, including also inorganic components, are promising materials for simultaneous exploiting of the differences in the masses, pI and structures of whey proteins for the separation.

Glycomacropeptide: A comprehensive understanding of its major biological characteristics and purification methodologies

“…In this technique, proteins with negative charges are bound to a positively charged ion‐exchange resin. However, the cost of the resin can be a limiting factor for industrial‐level usage of AEC (Radosavljević et al., 2022). To address this issue, Outinen et al.…”

“…In this technique, proteins with negative charges are bound to a positively charged ionexchange resin. However, the cost of the resin can be a limiting factor for industrial-level usage of AEC (Radosavljević et al, 2022). To address this issue, Outinen et al (1995) developed a procedure to isolate GMP from Emmental cheese whey using an inexpensive polystyrenic strong basic anion-exchange resin.…”

Antitumor activity of a whey peptide‐based enteral diet in C26 colon tumor‐bearing mice

“…Whey, as a byproduct of the dairy industry, has been widely used in food industry for a long time, and the major fractions in whey are β‐lactoglobulin, α‐lactalbumin, immunoglobulins, bovine serum albumin, lactoferrin, and peptides (C. Zhao, Chen, et al., 2021). The nutritional value and physiological activity of whey have been recognized (Radosavljević et al., 2021), such as exhibiting antioxidant, anti‐hyperglycemia, and anti‐inflammatory effects and reducing plasma triglycerides (Bumrungpert et al., 2018; Correa et al., 2014; Wycherley et al., 2012; Yamaguchi et al., 2009). It is also reported whey protein supplementation can improve nutritional status in patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy (Correa et al., 2014).…”

Effect of lactic acid bacteria fermentation on cow milk allergenicity and antigenicity: A review

“…Potential methods to reduce CMA have been applied for allergenicity control (Pereira et al, 2018(Pereira et al, , 2020, including heat treatment, enzymatic processes (hydrolysis, or cross-linking), chemical treatment (glycation and Maillard reaction, or chemical digestion), high pressure treatment, microwave, ultrasound (Aguiar et al, 2017), and electric field processing (ohmic heating); nevertheless, some of these are limited by harmful effects on food, safety, and costs (Pi et al, 2019). Fermentation of milk using lactic acid bacteria (LAB), a popular method to reduce antigenicity and allergenicity of dairy products, has attracted considerable attention (Bu et al, 2013(Bu et al, , 2010Jedrychowski, 1999;Pereira et al, 2018), because fermentation can significantly reduce the allergenicity of foods without the aforementioned limitations and improve their physicochemical properties, flavor, and nutritional value (El-Ghaish, Ahmadova et al, 2011;Radosavljević et al, 2022). However, the anti-allergenic effects of different LAB vary, and the mechanism of LAB in reducing CMA remains unclear.…”