Milk ingredients as nutraceuticals

Abstract

Cow’s milk is considered as a basic food in many diets, and is rich in a variety of essential nutrients. With today’s sophisticated analytical, biochemical and cell‐biological research tools, the presence of many other (minor) compounds with biological activity has been demonstrated. Achievements in separation techniques in the dairy industry and enzyme technology offer opportunities to isolate, concentrate or modify these compounds, so that their application in functional foods, dietary supplements, nutraceuticals and medical foods has become possible. Within the sequence of amino acids of a dietary protein, specific peptides may be located with specific biological activity. Peptides from casein may be used to enhance the solubility of minerals such as calcium and zinc—and hence increase the bioavailability of these minerals—or to reduce the activity of the angiotensin‐converting enzyme, which is involved in vasoconstriction and (hence) blood pressure. Immunoglobulins from vaccinated cows may be considered as natural antimicrobials with certain advantages over synthetic antibiotics. Lactoferrin is an example of a minor milk protein that has been studied in great detail: it is becoming increasingly clear that it is important for the nonspecific defence against bacteria, fungi and viruses. Oligosaccharides, glycolipids and glycoproteins containing sialic acid residues may have a role as anti‐infectives. Components such as growth factors may also be considered for future product development, because of the economies of scale used in the dairy industry.

Enrichment behavior of immunoglobulin by foam fractionation using response surface methodology

“…Generally, during the early stage of growth, neonates consume milk from their mothers' breasts for a certain period, but, in other cases, they consume milk from several alternative sources such as milk from domesticated animals, milk powders and artificial milk supplements [PLAYNE, et al 2003]. Although milk from various species, such as cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats and camels, has been studied scientifically for several decades, cow's milk has been proven to have a lot of benefits for human health and nutrition because of its similarity to the composition of human milk [AGOSTONI, et al 2000, LONNERDAL and STKINSON 1995, STEIJNS 2001.…”

Determination of some metals in the commonly consumed dairy products randomly collected from the market in Alexandria - Egypt, with an emphasis on toxicity, permissible limits and risk assessment

“…The determination of TMs level in milk is particularly monitored by international organizations. (Steijns JM 2001, Licata P et al 2004) Many reports indicated the presence of heavy metals in milk and other food products. (Caggiano R et al 2005, Tuzen M et al 2008) Cu, Zn and Se are essential metals for normal function of our body, however, from the toxicological point of view, their intake in higher amounts above safe recommended levels may be risky to the human health.…”

Whey Proteins as Source of Bioactive Peptides Against Hypertension

“…80 kDa, containing 1-4 glycans depending on the species. Bovine and human LFs consist of 989 and 691 amino acids, respectively [60]: the former is present to a concentration of ca. 0.1 mg mL -1 [25,61], and is an iron-binding glycoprotein -so it is thought to play a role in iron transport and absorption in the gut of young people.…”