The impact of cream churning conditions on xanthine oxidase activity and oxidation–reduction potential in model emulsion systems

Six types of milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) fractions were isolated from fresh raw cream using various churning conditions at different temperature (10, 15 or 20 °C) and pH values (5.5 or 6.6) and characterised for protein composition, xanthine oxidase (XO) content and activity, and oxidation–reduction potential (E_h). A greater proportion of non-membrane proteins was found at higher temperatures and higher cream pH, and the XO content decreased significantly under these conditions. XO activity was greater at lower temperatures and pH, yielding a more positive E_h value for the emulsions. Storage at 4 °C for 14 d significantly reduced the Eh of the emulsions to between −320 mV and −580 mV for low pH/low temperature, and high pH/high temperature emulsions, respectively. This study suggests that it is possible to obtain MFGM fractions with specific Eh reducing ability by altering churning conditions.     

Comparison of emulsifying properties of milk fat globule membrane materials isolated from different dairy by-products

Emulsifying properties of milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) materials isolated from reconstituted buttermilk (BM; i.e., BM-MFGM) and BM whey (i.e., whey-MFGM), individually or in mixtures with BM powder (BMP) were compared with those of a commercial dairy ingredient (Lacprodan PL-20; Arla Foods Ingredients Group P/S, Viby, Denmark), a material rich in milk polar lipids and proteins. The particle size distribution, viscosity, interfacial protein, and polar lipids load of oil-in-water emulsions prepared using soybean oil were examined. Pronounced droplet aggregation was observed with emulsions stabilized with whey-MFGM or with a mixture of whey-MFGM and BMP. No aggregation was observed for emulsions stabilized with BM-MFGM, Lacprodan PL-20, or a mixture of BM-MFGM and BMP. The surface protein load and polar lipids load were lowest in emulsions with BM-MFGM. The highest protein load and polar lipids load were observed for emulsions made with a mixture of whey-MFGM and BMP. The differences in composition of MFGM materials, such as in whey proteins, caseins, MFGM-specific proteins, polar lipids, minerals, and especially their possible interactions determine their emulsifying properties.     

Production of a novel ingredient from buttermilk

The presence of material derived from the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) makes buttermilk (the byproduct of butter making) distinct from any other dairy product. Membrane filtration of commercial buttermilk was carried out to obtain isolates rich in MFGM material. The separation of MFGM from the skim milk proteins present in commercial buttermilk was carried out by the addition of sodium citrate followed by microfiltration through a membrane of 0.1-microm nominal pore size. The sodium citrate caused the dissociation of casein micelles and allowed permeation of a large proportion of the skim-milk derived proteins through the membrane. This process successfully concentrated MFGM material in the retentate, and demonstrated that membrane filtration can be employed to produce MFGM fractions from commercial buttermilk. The utilization of MFGM isolates from buttermilk is of increasing importance in light of recent studies suggesting the role of phospholipids in many health-related functions: buttermilk is an untapped resource of these functional components.     

Short communication: Milk fat globule membrane as a potential delivery system for liposoluble nutrients

A soft physical process was used to extract and purified bovine milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) fractions on a pilot scale. Oil-in-water emulsions enriched with α-tocopherol and lycopene were then prepared and stabilized with the extracted MFGM fraction and conventional milk protein concentrates (i.e., whey proteins, caseinate). A protocol of in vitro digestion was set up to evaluate the bioaccessibility of the tocopherol and lycopene in the different emulsions. Bioaccessibility was defined as the capacity of liposoluble compounds to be transferred into mixed micelles formed during the digestion process. Results showed that the accumulation of the tocopherol and lycopene into mixed micelles in MFGM-stabilized emulsions was around 2-fold greater than in emulsions stabilized with conventional milk proteins. This result confirms the potential use of MFGM-enriched ingredients as delivery systems of liposoluble nutrients in food formulations.     

Emulsifying properties of fractions prepared from commercial buttermilk by microfiltration

A novel method for the separation of milk-fat globule membrane (MFGM) isolate by microfiltration in the presence of citrate was applied to prepare a fraction to be used to stabilize oil-in-water emulsions. The emulsifying properties of this fraction, containing high amounts of MFGM, were compared with a buttermilk concentrate (BMC) prepared in a similar manner but still containing the original ratio of proteins (caseins, whey proteins, and MFGM). The objective of this work was to determine if the isolation procedure would result in an ingredient with different functionality when compared with BMC. These fractions were incorporated into oil-in-water emulsions at various isolate and oil concentrations. At low concentrations of isolate, MFGM emulsions showed better creaming stability and smaller oil droplet size distribution than whole buttermilk concentrate samples. The difference in stability was attributed to the compositional difference between the 2 ingredients prepared. A selective concentration of MFGM in buttermilk by microfiltration has the potential for the development of ingredients that differ substantially from the ingredients deriving from milk or whey.     

Use of ultrafiltration and supercritical fluid extraction to obtain a whey buttermilk powder enriched in milk fat globule membrane phospholipids

Whey buttermilk, a by-product from whey cream processing to butter, is rich in milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) constituents, which have technological and potential health properties. The objective of this work was to produce a dairy ingredient enriched in MFGM material, especially phospholipids, from whey buttermilk. Whey buttermilk was concentrated by ultrafiltration (10×) and subsequently diafiltered (5×) (10 kDa molecular mass cutoff membrane) at 25 °C and the final retentate was spray-dried. The whey buttermilk powder was submitted to supercritical extraction (350 bar, 50 °C) using carbon dioxide. The membrane filtration removed most of the lactose and ash from the whey buttermilk, and the supercritical extraction extracted exclusively non-polar lipids. The final powder contained 73% protein and 21% lipids, of which 61% were phospholipids. This ingredient, a phospholipids-rich dairy powder, could be used as an emulsifier in different food systems.     

Combined effects of milk fat globule membrane polar lipids and protein concentrate on the stability of oil-in-water emulsions

Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) material isolated from reconstituted buttermilk by microfiltration (i.e., whole MFGM) contains two major fractions, namely proteins (consisting mainly of MFGM-specific proteins and serum proteins) and lipids (original membrane polar lipids and contaminating triglycerides from the globule core). In this study, MFGM proteins and polar lipid (PL) concentrate were separated from whole MFGM material using solvent extraction. The particle size distribution, stability, surface protein and polar lipid load of oil-in-water emulsions prepared with protein or PL concentrate, individually or in combination, at various concentrations were examined. At low emulsifier concentrations (<2.3%), there was an interacting effect between proteins and PLs on the droplet size. The phase separation of emulsions prepared with a combination of 0.3% proteins and 0.3% PLs was similar to that of emulsions containing 0.3% proteins. The proteins were more preferentially adsorbed at the emulsion droplet surface compared with PLs.     

不同均质工艺处理对巴氏杀菌乳脂肪球膜蛋白质组成的影响

乳脂肪球大小和膜蛋白组分的变化决定了脂肪球稳定性,从而影响巴氏杀菌乳在贮藏期内的品质稳定性。本研究通过十二烷基硫酸钠-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳和液相色谱-质谱联用法分析不同预热温度（50、60、70?℃）和不同均质压力（20、30、40、45?MPa）对脂肪球膜蛋白的影响,并通过稳定性分析仪探究脂肪球膜蛋白变化与稳定性的关系。结果表明,均质工艺对脂肪球膜蛋白种类无显著影响,但对脂肪球膜蛋白的含量有一定影响：黄嘌呤氧化还原酶（xanthine dehydrogenase/oxidase,XO）、嗜乳脂蛋白（butyrophilin,BTN）、脂肪滴结合蛋白（adipophilin,ADPH）在预热60 ℃时的含量最低,黏液素（mucin 1,MUC1）在预热60 ℃时的含量最高,脂肪酸结合蛋白（fatty acid binding protein,FABP）、组织糖蛋白高碘酸烯夫6/7（periodic acid Schiff 6/7,PAS6/7）的含量随着预热温度的升高而减少,组织糖蛋白高碘酸薛夫IV（cluster of differentiation 36,CD36）的含量随着预热温度的升高而增多;XO、PAS6/7、BTN、ADPH、FABP在均质压力40 MPa时含量最低,CD36的含量随均质压力的增加而减少;脂肪球膜蛋白构成中,牛血清白蛋白（bovine serum albumin,BSA）、αs1-酪蛋白（casein,CN）和β-CN含量增加,其中BSA含量增加最明显。综上,推测均质工艺导致αs1-CN、β-CN和BSA组分参与了脂肪球膜的构建,并对脂肪球稳定性产生了积极的影响。     

Microfiltration of buttermilk and washed cream buttermilk for concentration of milk fat globule membrane components

Buttermilk, the by-product from butter manufacture, has gained much attention lately because of the application potential of its milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) components as health ingredients. Microfiltration (MF) has been studied for buttermilk fractionation because of its ability to separate particles from dissolved solutes. However, the presence in this by-product of skim milk solids, especially casein micelles, restricts concentration of MFGM. The use of cream washed with skim milk ultrafiltrate to produce buttermilk with lower casein content was studied as well as fractionation of this buttermilk by MF. Results have shown that washing the cream prior to churning yields buttermilk with 74% less protein than normal cream buttermilk. Analysis of the protein profile of washed cream buttermilk revealed that caseins and whey proteins were the main classes of proteins removed. The MF of washed cream buttermilk resulted in permeation fluxes 2-fold higher than with normal cream buttermilk. The second separation of the cream induced high losses of phospholipids in the skim phase. However, retention of remaining phospholipids in washed cream buttermilk by the MF membrane was higher resulting in a phospholipids concentration factor 66% higher than that of normal cream buttermilk. The results presented in this study highlight the impact of casein micelles on the separation of MFGM components as well as their effect on permeation flux during MF.     

Buttermilk Properties in Emulsions with Soybean Oil as Affected by Fat Globule Membrane-Derived Proteins

The potential utilization of buttermilk from an industrial source was studied in this research, focusing primarily on its composition and use as ingredient in oil-in-water emulsions. Buttermilk contained not only large amounts of caseins and whey proteins, but also material derived from the natural milk fat globule membrane (MFGM). Emulsions made with soybean oil (10% w/w) and buttermilk were stable with a low concentration (about 1% w/w) of buttermilk solids. MFGM-proteins and skim milk proteins did not seem to compete for adsorption at the emulsion interface. The protein adsorbed at the interface was present in an aggregated form and gave a maximum surface coverage of about 8 mg/m².     

β-Casein-phospholipid monolayers as model systems to understand lipid-protein interactions in the milk fat globule membrane

Phospholipid-protein monolayer films were studied as model systems to mimic the structure of the native bovine milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) and to understand lipid-protein interactions at the surface of the globule. Phospholipids extracted from bovine raw milk, raw cream, processed milk and buttermilk powder were spread onto the air-water interface of a Langmuir trough, β-casein was then added to the sub-phase, and Langmuir-Blodgett films were studied by epifluorescence microscopy and atomic force microscopy. In all films, β-casein was responsible for clustering of the sphingomyelin- and cholesterol-rich microdomains into larger platforms. This suggests that the same phenomenon may happen at the surface of the milk fat globule, where specific MFGM proteins may cause aggregation of microdomains.     

Effect of heating whey proteins in the presence of milk fat globule membrane extract or phospholipids from buttermilk

The objective of this study was to determine the contribution of phospholipids from buttermilk as a nucleus in the heat-induced aggregation of whey proteins. Solutions of whey proteins (5%, w/v) were adjusted to pH 4.6 or 6.8 and then heated at 65 or 80 °C for 25 min with or without 1% (w/v) of milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) extract or phospholipid powder. The aggregation mechanisms were characterised using analysis with Ellman's reagent, one-dimensional gel electrophoresis, thin-layer chromatography, and three-dimensional confocal laser-scanning microscopy. Three-dimensional images showed protein/phospholipid interactions in the presence of MFGM extract or phospholipids, and thin-layer chromatography plates showed no trace of free phospholipids after 20 min at pH 4.6. Overall, the results demonstrate that phospholipids from buttermilk were involved in the formation of protein aggregates through the MFGM fragments at a low temperature, whereas phospholipids could interact directly with the proteins at a higher temperature (80 °C).     

Oxidation of aldehydes by xanthine oxidase located on the surface of emulsions and washed milk fat globules

The enzymatic activity of xanthine oxidase (XO) located within the native and recombined milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) on emulsion surfaces was investigated after successive washing with deionised water (DW) or simulated milk ultrafiltrate (SMUF). DW was more effective than SMUF at removing non-MFMG proteins from the globule surface. Surface XO activity on a protein basis increased after three washes due to loss of MFGM proteins to the serum phase. Recombined emulsions had higher surface enzymatic activity than washed native fat globule samples. The oxidation of acetaldehyde, 3-methylbutanal, 2-methylpropanol and 2-methylbutanal to the corresponding acids by XO on the globule surface was analysed. A higher proportion of aldehydes were depleted at higher XO activity when the initial aldehyde concentration was constant, and for higher initial concentrations of aldehydes. The recovery of aldehydes and acids was above 79%, indicating that the depleted aldehydes were mostly converted to the corresponding acids.     

Isolation of milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) material by coagulation and diafiltration of buttermilk

Due to the functional potential of milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), its isolation from buttermilk is receiving increasing attention by the food industry. However, extraction of MFGM proteins from buttermilk is challenging because of the high levels of serum proteins. In this study, a two-step approach was applied to obtain a MFGM isolate. First, native casein micelles from buttermilk were removed by rennet-induced coagulation. Next, the buttermilk whey obtained was filtered to remove the residual whey proteins. Purified MFGM isolate was collected after six diafiltration steps. The yield of MFGM proteins in the isolates was determined using sodium dodecylsulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In the MFGM isolates, 70% of peripheral membrane proteins were obtained, which is much more effective in comparison with recent isolation methods like cream washing or filtration of buttermilk. Further investigations on casein coagulation conditions of buttermilk may reduce losses, especially of integral MFGM proteins during renneting.     

Effect of buttermilk made from creams with different heat treatment histories on properties of rennet gels and model cheeses

Although many studies have reported negative effects on cheese properties resulting from the use of buttermilk in cheese milk, the cause of these effects has not been determined. In this study, buttermilk was manufactured from raw cream and pasteurized cream, as well as from a cream derived from pasteurized whole milk. Skim milks with the same heat treatments were also manufactured to be used as controls. Compositional analysis of the buttermilks revealed a pH 4.6-insoluble protein content approximately 10% lower than that of the skim milk counterparts. Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) proteins remained soluble at pH 4.6 in raw cream buttermilk; however, when heat was applied to cream or whole milk before butter making, MFGM proteins precipitated with the caseins. Rennet gel characterization showed that MFGM material in the buttermilks decreased the firmness and increased the set-to-cut time of rennet gels, but this effect was amplified when pasteurized cream buttermilk was added to cheese milk. The microstructure of gels was studied, and it was observed that gel appearance was very different when pasteurized cream buttermilk was used, as opposed to raw cream buttermilk. Model cheeses manufactured with buttermilks tended to have a higher moisture content than cheeses made with skim milks, explaining the higher yields obtained with buttermilk. Superior retention of MFGM particles was observed in model cheeses made from pasteurized cream buttermilk compared with raw cream buttermilk. The results from this study show that pasteurization of cream and of whole milk modifies the surface of MFGM particles, and this may explain why buttermilk has poor coagulation properties and therefore yields rennet gels with texture defects.     

乳脂肪球膜的特性、开发及在模拟母乳脂肪球结构中的应用

乳脂肪球膜（milk fat globule membrane,MFGM）是包裹在天然乳脂肪球外部的3 层膜状结构,然而牛乳基和大豆基婴儿配方奶粉缺少MFGM,脂肪球结构与母乳存在较大差异,因此添加外源MFGM以及制备与母乳脂肪球结构接近的婴儿配方奶粉成为了近期的研究焦点。本文综述了MFGM的相关特性和生产开发途径,以及牛乳MFGM在仿母乳脂肪球结构乳液和婴儿配方奶粉中的应用。体外模拟婴儿胃肠道消化实验以及啮齿动物体内实验结果表明,仿母乳脂肪球结构乳液和婴儿配方奶粉能够促进婴儿脂肪消化并且改善脂质代谢过程。     

Effect of processing on the composition and microstructure of buttermilk and its milk fat globule membranes

The effect of cream pasteurization on the composition and microstructure of buttermilk after pasteurization, evaporation and spray-drying was studied. The composition of milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) isolated from buttermilk samples was also characterized. Pasteurization of cream resulted in higher lipid recovery in the buttermilk. Spray-drying of buttermilk had a significant effect on phospholipid content and composition. After spray-drying, the phospholipid content decreased by 38.2% and 40.6%, respectively in buttermilk from raw or pasteurized cream when compared with initial buttermilks. Pasteurization of cream resulted in the highest increase in whey protein recovery in MFGM isolates compared with all other processing steps applied on buttermilk. A reduction in phospholipid content was also observed in MFGM isolates following spray-drying. Transmission electron microscopy of the microstructure of buttermilks revealed extremely heterogeneous microstructures but failed to reveal any effect of the treatments.     

Filtration of milk fat globule membrane fragments from acid buttermilk cheese whey

The proteins and polar lipids present in milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) fragments are gaining attention for their technological and nutritional properties. These MFGM fragments are preferentially enriched in side streams of the dairy industry, like butter serum, buttermilk, and whey. The objective of this study was to recover MFGM fragments from whey by tangential filtration techniques. Acid buttermilk cheese whey was chosen as a source for purification by tangential membrane filtration because it is relatively rich in MFGM-fragments and because casein micelles are absent. Polyethersulfone and cellulose acetate membranes of different pore sizes were evaluated on polar lipid and MFGM-protein retention upon filtration at 40°C. All fractions were analyzed for dry matter, ash, lipids, proteins, reducing sugars, polar lipid content by HPLC, and for the presence of MFGM proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE. A fouling coefficient was calculated. It was found that a thermocalcic aggregation whey pretreatment was very effective in the clarification of the whey, but resulted in low permeate fluxes and high retention of ash and whey proteins. By means of an experimental design, the influence of pH and temperature on the fouling and the retention of polar lipids (and thus MFGM fragments), proteins, and total lipids upon microfiltration with 0.15 μM cellulose acetate membrane was investigated. All models were highly significant, and no outliers were observed. By increasing the pH from 4.6 to 7.5, polar lipid retention at 50°C increased from 64 to 98%, whereas fouling of the filtration membrane was minimized. A 3-step diafiltration of acid whey under these conditions resulted in a polar lipid concentration of 6.79 g/100 g of dry matter. As such, this study shows that tangential filtration techniques are suited for the purification of MFGM fragments.     

Concentration of polar MFGM lipids from buttermilk by microfiltration and supercritical fluid extraction

Buttermilk contains the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), a material that possesses many complex lipids that function as nutritionally valuable molecules. Milk-derived sphingolipids and phospholipids affect numerous cell functions, including regulating growth and development, molecular transport systems, stress responses, cross membrane trafficking, and absorption processes. We developed a two-step method to produce buttermilk derivative ingredients containing increased concentrations of the polar MFGM lipids by microfiltration and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). These processes offer environmentally benign alternatives to conventional lipid fractionation methods that rely on toxic solvents. Firstly, using a ceramic tubular membrane with 0.8-micron pore size, we evaluated the cross flow microfiltration system that maximally concentrated the polar MFGM lipids using a 2n factorial design; the experimental factors were buttermilk source (fresh, or reconstituted from powder) and temperature (50 degrees C, and 4 degrees C). Secondly, a SFE process using supercritical carbon dioxide removed exclusively nonpolar lipid material from the microfiltered buttermilk product. Lipid analysis showed that after SFE, the product contained a significantly reduced concentration of nonpolar lipids, and a significantly increased concentration of polar lipids derived from the MFGM. Particle size analysis revealed an impact of SFE on the product structure. The efficiency of the SFE system using the microfiltration-processed powder was compared much more favorably to using buttermilk powder.     

Antioxidant activity of co-products from milk fat processing and their enzymatic hydrolysates obtained with different proteolytic preparations

Different co-products are generated from bovine milk during the manufacture of butter or anhydrous milk fat. Those co-products have a similar composition to milk, though they are enriched in fat and components from the milk fat globule membrane. The antioxidant activity of some commercial products (skim milk, butter serum and buttermilk) and raw buttermilk was assayed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay. Commercial co-products showed higher antioxidant activity than raw buttermilk when tested at >10 mg mL⁻¹. These products were incubated with Alcalase, Prolyve and Corolase PP to determine the effect of enzymatic hydrolysis on their antioxidant activity; hydrolysates obtained were characterised by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Hydrolysis with Corolase PP produced the hydrolysates with the highest antioxidant activity. Products derived from milk fat processing and their hydrolysates may therefore be considered as a natural source of antioxidant compounds for application as value-added ingredients.