Gelation and Water Binding Properties of Transglutaminase-treated Skim Milk Powder

Transglutaminase (TGase)-treated skim milk powder (TG-SMP) was prepared by freeze-drying skim milk after TGase treatment (10 U/g milk protein, 40°C for 3 h), followed by TGase inactivation at 85°C for 5 min. TGase modification resulted in significant increases in hardness and water holding capacity (WHC) of heat-induced gels (10% protein, w/v). A marked increase in storage modulus (G') of TG-SMP upon heating suggests that TG-SMP has a greater gelling ability than control-SMP (C-SMP) prepared with predenatured TGase. Acid gels prepared from TG-SMP had a significantly higher WHC at all solid levels (12%, 14%, and 16%) tested and formed a more elastic network than C-SMP.     

Effect of elevated temperature storage on the digestible reactive lysine content of unhydrolyzed- and hydrolyzed-lactose milk-based products

The study aimed to evaluate the effects of storage at elevated temperatures on reactive Lys content and true ileal reactive Lys digestibility in a skim milk powder and a hydrolyzed-lactose skim milk powder. A validated bioassay based on guanidination of food and digesta samples was applied. Semisynthetic diets containing the milk powders as the sole sources of protein were formulated and fed to growing rats. Chromic oxide was included in each diet as an indigestible marker. Digesta were collected posteuthanasia and analyzed along with the diets for reactive Lys (homoarginine), and true ileal reactive Lys digestibility was calculated after correction for endogenous Lys loss. For the skim milk powder, there was no decrease in reactive Lys digestibility (Lys availability) when the powder was stored at 30 and 35°C for 18 mo. In contrast, when stored at 40°C for 12 mo, a small but statistically significant (6%) decrease was observed. For the hydrolyzed-lactose product, a 22% decrease in Lys availability was observed after storage at 35°C for 18 mo, and a 17% decrease was observed when stored at 40°C for only 6 mo. Digestible reactive (available) Lys content decreased by more than 20% for the skim milk powder stored at 30 and 35°C for 18 mo and 40% when stored at 40°C for 12 mo. Furthermore, available Lys decreased in the hydrolyzed-lactose skim milk powder by 41% when stored at 30°C for only 18 mo and 34 and 65% when stored at 35 and 40°C, respectively, for 6 mo. Elevated temperatures and prolonged storage periods negatively influenced the available Lys contents of both milk powders. The decrease in available Lys content and Lys availability was greater for the hydrolyzed-lactose skim milk powder compared with the normal skim milk powder, after storage at elevated temperatures.     

Heat stability of reconstituted, protein-standardized skim milk powders

We determined the effects of standardization material, protein content, and pH on the heat stability of reconstituted milk made from low-heat (LH) and medium-heat (MH) nonfat dry milk (NDM). Low-heat and MH NDM were standardized downward from 35.5% to 34, 32, and 30% protein by adding either edible lactose powder (ELP) or permeate powder (PP) from skim milk ultrafiltration. These powders were called standardized skim milk powders (SSMP). The LH and MH NDM and SSMP were reconstituted to 9% total solids. Furthermore, subsamples of reconstituted NDM and SSMP samples were set aside to measure heat stability at native (unadjusted) pH, and the rest were adjusted to pH 6.3 to 7.0. Heat stability is defined as heat coagulation time at 140°C of the reconstituted LH or MH NDM and SSMP samples. The entire experiment was replicated 3 times at unadjusted pH values and 2 times at adjusted pH values. At an unadjusted pH, powder type, standardization material, and protein content influenced the heat stability of the samples. Heat stability for reconstituted LH NDM and SSMP was higher than reconstituted MH NDM and SSMP. Generally, decreased heat stability was observed in reconstituted LH or MH SSMP as protein content was decreased by standardization. However, adding ELP to MH SSMP did not significantly change its heat stability. When pH was adjusted to values between 6.3 and 7.0, powder type, standardization material, and pH had a significant effect on heat stability, whereas protein content did not. Maximum heat stability was noted at pH 6.7 for both reconstituted LH NDM and SSMP samples, and at pH 6.6 for both reconstituted MH NDM and SSMP samples. Furthermore, for samples with adjusted pH, higher heat stability was observed for reconstituted LH SSMP containing PP compared with reconstituted milk from LH SSMP containing ELP. However, no statistical difference was observed in the heat stability of reconstituted milk from MH NDM and MH SSMP samples. We conclude that powder type (LH or MH) and effect of standardization material (ELP or PP) can help explain differences in heat stability. The difference in the heat stability of powder type may be associated with the difference in the pH of maximum heat stability and compositional differences in the standardization material (ELP or PP).     

Functional properties of milk proteins as affected by enzymatic oligomerisation

Milk proteins were enzymatically modified by transglutaminase, lactoperoxidase, laccase as well as glucose oxidase and analysed for changes in molar mass distribution, techno- and tropho-functional properties.The study revealed that high degrees of protein cross-linking were not only detected upon enzymatic modification of milk proteins by transglutaminase, but also upon incubation with oxidoreductases like lactoperoxidase, laccase as well as glucose oxidase. Due to different reaction mechanisms, oligomeric (20,000–200,000 g/mol) and polymeric (>200,000 g/mol) reaction products with different functional property profiles were synthesised. In contrast to transglutaminase-treated milk proteins, e.g., lactoperoxidase-treated milk proteins performed outstanding interfacial properties and glucose oxidase-treated milk proteins higher in vitro digestibility. Oxidoreductase-treated proteins were shown to exhibit increased antioxidative capacity. Laccase was demonstrated to generate oligomeric as well as polymeric protein/protein and protein/phenolic acid reaction products.The study characterises enzymatically cross-linked proteins and makes it possible to specifically select modified proteins for industrial applications according to the requirements towards food proteins, weighing changes in techno- and tropho-functional protein properties.     

Characterization of dextran produced from Leuconostoc citreum S5 strain isolated from Korean fermented vegetable

The production of dextran was optimized by a novel Leuconostoc citreum, which was isolated from Korean traditional fermented vegetable, Dongchimi. This strain was identified as Leuconostoc citreum S5 by a physiological analysis, API-kit analysis, 16-rDNA sequencing and RAPD-PCR. The type and production of dextrans were greatly affected by the sucrose concentration, food ingredients and fermentation time. In particular, the addition of skim milk and potato powder greatly increased the consistency of the culture broth after fermentation for 12 h at 30 °C, resulting in the maximum values after 72 h. The culture broth with the highest consistency, was obtained from the defined medium containing 20% sucrose, 1.5% skim milk and 0.5% potato powder, and it showed typical pseudoplastic behavior with a pH of 4.07, 1.12% titratable acidity, 472.5 Pa of the elasticity modulus (G′) and 85.0 Pa of viscosity modulus (G″). In addition, total dextran is composed of soluble dextran (33.2 g/L) and insoluble dextran (29.8 g/L). The conversion yield of sucrose was decreased by an increase, in the sucrose concentration in a defined medium, remaining sucrose and some of glucose and fructose. High-molecular weight dextran (2,000 kDa), as a minor fraction, was produced by increasing the sucrose. With the addition of food ingredients such as skim milk and potato powder, however, the conversion of sucrose is complete, showing only some fructose as a by-product. Low-molecular weight dextran (1,100 kDa) was only produced regardless of sucrose concentration.     

脱脂牛乳体系中乳蛋白葡萄糖美拉德反应程度及产物功能性质研究

以脱脂牛乳为研究对象,以葡萄糖为还原糖,对乳蛋白进行美拉德反应修饰,研究葡萄糖添加量为0~9 g/100 mL脱脂乳时反应体系的糖基化程度、pH、中间产物含量、褐变程度、粒径,以及产物乳化性、发泡性和吸油性。结果显示,脱脂乳体系糖基化程度在葡萄糖添加量为3 g/100 mL时达到最大值,之后迅速降低;中间产物和褐变程度均在该添加量下达到最低值,之后迅速上升。反应体系pH并未随葡萄糖添加量的增加而显著变化。糖基化反应后,酪蛋白胶束粒径增加。糖基化修饰改善了脱脂乳体系的乳化性,当葡萄糖添加量为3 g/100 mL时,乳化活性和乳化稳定性均达到最大值。糖基化修饰后,脱脂乳体系的发泡性并未显著提高,但该体系10和30 min泡沫稳定显著增加(p<0.05)。糖基化修饰后乳蛋白的吸油性降低。研究结论可为脱脂乳体系中乳蛋白美拉德反应产物的应用提供基础数据。     

Effects of milk heat treatment and solvent composition on physicochemical and selected functional characteristics of milk protein concentrate

Milk protein concentrate (MPC) powders (～81% protein) were made from skim milk that was heat treated at 72°C for 15 s (LHMPC) or 85°C for 30 s (MHMPC). The MPC powder was manufactured by ultrafiltration and diafiltration of skim milk at 50°C followed by spray drying. The MPC dispersions (4.02% true protein) were prepared by reconstituting the LHMPC and MHMPC powders in distilled water (LHMPC_w and MHMPC_w, respectively) or milk permeate (LHMPC_p and MHMPC_p, respectively). Increasing milk heat treatment increased the level of whey protein denaturation (from ～5 to 47% of total whey protein) and reduced the concentrations of serum protein, serum calcium, and ionic calcium. These changes were paralleled by impaired rennet-induced coagulability of the MHMPC_w and MHMPC_p dispersions and a reduction in the pH of maximum heat stability of MHMPC_p from pH 6.9 to 6.8. For both the LHMPC and MHMPC dispersions, the use of permeate instead of water enhanced ethanol stability at pH 6.6 to 7.0, impaired rennet gelation, and changed the heat coagulation time and pH profile from type A to type B. Increasing the severity of milk heat treatment during MPC manufacture and the use of permeate instead of water led to significant reductions in the viscosity of stirred yogurt prepared by starter-induced acidification of the MPC dispersions. The current study clearly highlights how the functionality of protein dispersions prepared by reconstitution of high-protein MPC powders may be modulated by the heat treatment of the skim milk during manufacture of the MPC and the composition of the solvent used for reconstitution.     

Maillard Reaction Products as Encapsulants for Fish Oil Powders

The use of Maillard reaction products for encapsulation of fish oil was investigated. Fish oil was emulsified with heated aqueous mixtures comprising a protein source (Na caseinate, whey protein isolate, soy protein isolate, or skim milk powder) and carbohydrates (glucose, dried glucose syrup, oligosaccharide) and spray‐dried for the production of 50% oil powders. The extent of the Maillard reaction was monitored using L*, a*, b* values and absorbance at 465 nm. Encapsulation efficiency was gauged by measurement of solvent‐extractable fat and the oxidative stability of the fish oil powder, which was determined by assessment of headspace propanal after storage of powders at 35 °C for 4 wk. Increasing the heat treatment (60 °C to 100 °C for 30 to 90 min) of sodium caseinate‐glucose‐glucose syrup mixtures increased Maillard browning but did not change their encapsulation efficiency. The encapsulation efficiency of all heated sodium caseinate‐glucose‐glucose syrup mixtures was high, as indicated by the low solvent‐extractable fat in powder (<2% powder, w/w). However, increasing the severity of the heat treatment of the sodium caseinate‐glucose‐glucose syrup mixtures reduced the susceptibility of the fish oil powder to oxidation. The increased protection afforded to fish oil in powders by increasing the temperature‐time treatment of protein‐carbohydrate mixtures before emulsification and drying was observed irrespective of the protein (sodium caseinate, whey protein isolate, soy protein isolate, or skim milk powder) and carbohydrate (glucose, glucose/dried glucose syrup, or oligosaccharide/dried glucose syrup) sources used in the formulation. Maillard reaction products produced by heat treatment of aqueous protein‐carbohydrate mixtures were effective for protecting microencapsulated fish oil and other oils (evening primrose oil, milk fat) from oxidation.     

Lactosylation of milk proteins during the manufacture and storage of skim milk powders

Extensive lactosylation of milk proteins in standard skim milk powder dried against air between 185 and 90°C (inlet and outlet temperatures of the air) was detected by capillary electrophoresis. Optimisation of the drying conditions included keeping the outlet temperature low (preferably <80°C), since this was the parameter which most affected the extent of lactosylation of milk proteins. The inlet temperature was set in order to obtain the best compromise between a low extent of lactosylation and a high drying rate (170–175°C). These conditions allowed the manufacture of low-lactosylated skim milk powder. Storage of freeze-dried and control low-lactosylated skim milk powder at different temperatures showed that both temperature and moisture content affected the progress of lactosylation during storage. Further drying to less than 2.5% moisture content (w/w) and storage at low temperatures were required to prevent the development of lactosylation in the low-lactosylated skim milk powder.     

Addition of sodium caseinate to skim milk increases nonsedimentable casein and causes significant changes in rennet-induced gelation,heat stability,and ethanol stability

The protein content of skim milk was increased from 3.3 to 4.1% (wt/wt) by the addition of a blend of skim milk powder and sodium caseinate (NaCas), in which the weight ratio of skim milk powder to NaCas was varied from 0.8:0.0 to 0.0:0.8. Addition of NaCas increased the levels of nonsedimentable casein (from ～6 to 18% of total casein) and calcium (from ～36 to 43% of total calcium) and reduced the turbidity of the fortified milk, to a degree depending on level of NaCas added. Rennet gelation was adversely affected by the addition of NaCas at 0.2% (wt/wt) and completely inhibited at NaCas ≥0.4% (wt/wt). Rennet-induced hydrolysis was not affected by added NaCas. The proportion of total casein that was nonsedimentable on centrifugation (3,000 × g, 1 h, 25°C) of the rennet-treated milk after incubation for 1 h at 31°C increased significantly on addition of NaCas at ≥0.4% (wt/wt). Heat stability in the pH range 6.7 to 7.2 and ethanol stability at pH 6.4 were enhanced by the addition of NaCas. It is suggested that the negative effect of NaCas on rennet gelation is due to the increase in nonsedimentable casein, which upon hydrolysis by chymosin forms into small nonsedimentable particles that physically come between, and impede the aggregation of, rennet-altered para-casein micelles, and thereby inhibit the development of a gel network.     

Effects of milk supplementation with skim milk powder, whey protein concentrate and sodium caseinate on acidification kinetics, rheological properties and structure of nonfat stirred yogurt

Milk supplementation with milk proteins in four different levels was used to investigate the effect on acidification and textural properties of yogurt. Commercial skim milk powder was diluted in distilled water, and the supplements were added to give different enriched-milk bases; these were heat treated at 90 °C for 5 min. These mixtures were incubated with the bacterial cultures for fermentation in a water bath, at 42 °C, until pH 4.50 was reached. Chemical changes during fermentation were followed by measuring the pH. Protein concentration measurements, microbial counts of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, and textural properties (G′, G″, yield stress and firmness) were determined after 24 h of storage at 4 °C. Yogurt made with milk supplemented with sodium caseinate resulted in significant properties changes, which were decrease in fermentation time, and increase in yield stress, storage modulus, and firmness, with increases in supplement level. Microstructure also differed from that of yogurt produced with milk supplemented with skim milk powder or sodium caseinate.     

Technological characterization of lactococci isolated from traditional Chinese fermented milks

To screen lactic acid bacteria for starter cultures in cheese production, 21 Lactococcus strains previously isolated from natural fermented milk and koumiss made by herdsman families in the Xinjiang, Gansu, and Qinghai provinces of China were evaluated for optimal growth temperature, acidification activity, proteolytic activity, aminopeptidase activity, and autolytic activity. All isolates presented low acidification rates, and the pH value did not reach 5.3 after 6 h of inoculation in sterile reconstituted skim milk at 30°C. Strains X9C2 and T7C showed the highest proteolytic activity of 24.67 and 23.58 mg of glycine/L of milk, respectively. For aminopeptidase activity, strains X9C2 and T1C2 displayed the highest activities of 30.56 and 27.70 U/mg of protein using l-leucine-p-nitroanilide as substrate, respectively. Autolytic activity in simulated cheese-like buffer ranged from 7.45 to 34.76%, and strains Q14C2 and Q16C showed the highest values of 34.76 and 34.20%, respectively. Collectively, one main finding is that some technological characteristics of Lactococcus isolates from Chinese traditional fermented products varied greatly. Some isolates with potentially important properties could be valuable for application as starter cultures of cheese or could constitute a mixed culture.     

Protein co-precipitates from milk and blood plasma: Preparation and investigation of some functional properties

Various processing methods were investigated for the production of milk and porcine blood plasma co-precipitates. Factors considered included pH and temperature treatments as well as the ratio of milk to plasma proteins in mixtures of the raw materials. The recovery of protein in precipitates was measured and the following method was selected accordingly for further studies: pH adjustment of skim milk and blood plasma mixtures to pH 9.5, heating to 70° C, readjustment of pH to 9.5, holding for 3 min, cooling to 68°C, pH adjustment to 3–5, holding for 5 min, cooling to ambient temperature and final pH adjustment to 4.7. Two co-precipitates (70/30 M/P and 30/70 M/P) were prepared from a 70:30 and a 30:70 mixture of skim milk (M) and blood plasma (P). Some of the functional properties of these preparations were measured and compared with those of total milk protein (TMP) and blood plasma precipitate (P) prepared by the same procedure as well as acid-precipitated casein. The protein contents of preparations freeze-dried at pH 7.0 varied between 91.5 and 92.3% and those freeze-dried at pH 4.7 varied between 93.1 and 96.0%. The solubility profile and emulsifying capacity of the 70/30 M/P compared favourably with those of caseinate and TMP. The solubilities of 30/70 M/P and 100% P were, however, poor. The viscosity of solutions of 70/30 M/P was considerably higher than those of caseinate and TMP solutions. Water adsorption isotherms of protein preparations were constructed and are presented in graphical form. Precipitates freeze-dried at pH 7.0 adsorbed more moisture than the same preparations freeze-dried at pH 4.7. These differences were especially evident a water activities >0.8.     

Microbial, physical and sensory properties of yogurt supplemented with lentil flour

In this study, skim milk (9.5% w/v solid content) was supplemented with 1-3% (w/v) lentil flour or skim milk powder, inoculated with a yogurt culture, fermented and stored at 4 °C. Acid production during the fermentation, microbial growth, physical properties (pH, syneresis, and color), rheological properties (dynamic oscillation temperature sweep test at 4-50 °C), during 28 days of refrigerated storage and also sensory properties (flavor, mouth feel, overall acceptance and color) after production, were studied. Milk supplementation with 1-3% lentil flour enhanced acid production during fermentation, but the microbial population (CFU) of both S. thermophilus and L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus were in the same range in all lentil flour and skim milk powder supplemented yogurts. The average pH of samples decreased from 4.5 to 4.1 after 28 days storage. Syneresis in 1-2% lentil flour supplemented yogurts was significantly higher than all other samples; however, greater lentil supplementation (3%) resulted in the lowest syneresis during the 28 days storage. With respect to color, “a” and “L” values did not significantly differ in all samples and remained constant after 28 days whereas “b” value increased as a result of lentil supplementation. Yogurt with 3% lentil flour showed higher storage (G') and loss (G?) moduli in comparison with samples supplemented with 1-3% skim milk powder and the non-supplemented control yogurt. Storage modulus (G') was higher than loss modulus (G?) in all samples and at all temperatures between 4 and 50 °C and they showed a hysteresis loop over this temperature range when the samples were heated and cooled. 1-2% lentil flour supplemented yogurt showed comparable sensory properties in comparison with 1-2% skim milk powder supplemented yogurt and the control sample.     

Industrial yogurt manufacture: monitoring of fermentation process and improvement of final product quality

Lactic acid fermentation during the production of skim milk and whole fat set-style yogurt was continuously monitored by measuring pH. The modified Gompertz model was successfully applied to describe the pH decline and viscosity development during the fermentation process. The viscosity and incubation time data were also fitted to linear models against ln(pH). The investigation of the yogurt quality improvement practices included 2 different heat treatments (80°C for 30 min and 95°C for 10 min), 3 milk protein fortifying agents (skim milk powder, whey powder, and milk protein concentrate) added at 2.0%, and 4 hydrocolloids (κ-carrageenan, xanthan, guar gum, and pectin) added at 0.01% to whole fat and skim yogurts. Heat treatment significantly affected viscosity and acetaldehyde development without influencing incubation time and acidity. The addition of whey powder shortened the incubation time but had a detrimental effect on consistency, firmness, and overall acceptance of yogurts. On the other hand, addition of skim milk powder improved the textural quality and decreased the vulnerability of yogurts to syneresis. Anionic stabilizers (κ-carrageenan and pectin) had a poor effect on the texture and palatability of yogurts. However, neutral gums (xanthan and guar gum) improved texture and prevented the wheying-off defect. Skim milk yogurts exhibited longer incubation times and higher viscosities, whereas they were rated higher during sensory evaluation than whole fat yogurts.     

Optimisation of bambara groundnut water extract and skim milk composition as cryoprotectant for increasing cell viability of Lactobacillus spp. using response surface methodology

Four legume water extracts, that is bambara groundnut, soya bean, red kidney bean and black bean as well as skim milk, were examined for their effectiveness in protecting Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Lactobacillus fermentum SK5 during the freeze‐drying and storage. Bambara groundnut water extract (BGWE) showed promising cryoprotective activity that was comparable to skim milk. BGWE and skim milk at 2–10% w/v and 5–20% w/v individually produced survival rates for both strains of 87–88%. To further optimise the synergistic cryoprotective medium, response surface methodology was employed. The optimal combination was 4.93% w/v BGWE and 11.68% w/v skim milk for L. rhamnosus GG and 5.17% w/v BGWE and 11.36% w/v skim milk for L. fermentum SK5 with survival rates of 95.17% and 94.36%, respectively. The storage life of freeze‐dried cells of both probiotics at 4 °C and 30 °C for 6 months was markedly improved when they were produced with these optimal combinations.     

Depletion of glucose in Egyptian egg white before dehydration

Glucose was completely removed from egg white in h by using Streptococcus lactis and 0.2% yeast extract at pH 6.0 and 30 °C. A distinct objectionable odour was developed accompanied by a change in the appearance of egg white. Using Aerobacter aerogenes at pH 7.0 and 37 °C, glucose depletion was completed after 3 to 4 h depending on the initial number of bacteria used. The undesirable changes in odour and appearance of egg white were not observed. Saccharomyces cerevisiae succeeded, in presence of 0.2% yeast extract, in depleting sugar in egg white in 9 h. The optimum pH for the reaction was in the range of 6.0 to 7.5 at 32 °C. Glucose oxidase powder of fungal origin was also used for glucose depletion. Glucose was completely removed after 8 h by adding 3.8 glucose oxidase units/100 ml egg white at pH 7.3 and 14.5 °C. 1.9 and 0.95 glucose oxidase units per ioo ml egg white were not enough for complete glucose removal. No objectionable odour or undesirable changes in egg white were observed.     

Effect of pH on heat-induced interactions in high-protein milk dispersions and application of fluorescence spectroscopy in characterizing these changes

This study investigated casein-whey protein interactions in high-protein milk dispersions (5% protein wt/wt) during heating at 90°C for 1.5 to 7.5 min at 3 different pH of 6.5, 6.8, and 7.0, using both conventional methods (gel electrophoresis, physicochemical properties) and fluorescence spectroscopy. Conventional methods confirmed the presence of milk protein aggregates during heating, similar to skim milk. These methods were able to help in understanding the denaturation and aggregation of milk proteins as a function of heat treatment. However, the results from the conventional methods were greatly affected by batch-to-batch variations and, therefore, differentiation could be drawn only in nonheated samples and samples heated for a longer duration. The front-face fluorescence spectroscopy was found to be a useful tool that provided additional information to conventional methods and helped in understanding differences between nonheated, low-, and high-heated samples, along with the type of sample used (derived from liquid or powder milk protein concentrates). At all pH values, tryptophan maxima in nonheated samples derived from powdered milk protein concentrates presented a blue shift in comparison to samples derived from liquid milk protein concentrates, and tryptophan maxima in heated samples presented a red shift. With the heating of the sample, Maillard emission and excitation spectra also showed increases in the peak intensities from 408 to 432 and 260 to 290 nm, respectively. As the level of denaturation increased with heating, a marked differentiation can be seen in the principal component analysis plots of tryptophan, Maillard emission, and excitation spectra, indicating that the front-face fluorescence technique has a potential to monitor and classify samples according to milk protein interactions as a function of pH and heat exposure. Overall, it can be said that the pattern of protein-protein interactions in high-protein dispersions was similar to the observation reported in skim milk systems, and fluorescence spectroscopy with chemometrics can be used as a rapid, nondestructive, and complementary method to conventional methods for following heat-induced changes.     

Differential behavior of Lactobacillus helveticus B1929 and ATCC 15009 on the hydrolysis and angiotensin-I-converting enzyme inhibition activity of fermented ultra-high-temperature milk and nonfat dried milk powder

Consumers' growing interest in fermented dairy foods necessitates research on a wide array of lactic acid bacterial strains to be explored and used. This study aimed to investigate the differences in the proteolytic capacity of Lactobacillus helveticus strains B1929 and ATCC 15009 on the fermentation of commercial ultra-pasteurized (UHT) skim milk and reconstituted nonfat dried milk powder (at a comparable protein concentration, 4%). The antihypertensive properties of the fermented milk, measured by angiotensin-I-converting enzyme inhibitory (ACE-I) activity, were compared. The B1929 strain lowered the pH of the milk to 4.13 ± 0.09 at 37°C after 24 h, whereas ATCC 15009 needed 48 h to drop the pH to 4.70 ± 0.18 at 37°C. Two soluble protein fractions, one (CFS1) obtained after fermentation (acidic conditions) and the other (CFS2) after the neutralization (pH 6.70) of the pellet from CFS1 separation, were analyzed for d-/l-lactic acid production, protein concentration, the degree of protein hydrolysis, and ACE-I activity. The CFS1 fractions, dominated by whey proteins, demonstrated a greater degree of protein hydrolysis (7.9%) than CFS2. On the other hand, CFS2, mainly casein proteins, showed a higher level of ACE-I activity (33.8%) than CFS1. Significant differences were also found in the d- and l-lactic acid produced by the UHT milk between the 2 strains. These results attest that milk casein proteins possessed more detectable ACE-I activity than whey fractions, even without a measurable degree of hydrolysis. Findings from this study suggest that careful consideration must be given when selecting the bacterial strain and milk substrate for fermentation.     

Development of a novel milk‐based fermented product fortified with wheat germ

Wheat germ (WG) was mixed with water (1:5), heated (85 °C/15 min), cooled and used to replace 0, 20, 30 and 40% (w/w) of standardised cow's milk (3% fat), supplemented with 2%(w/w) skim milk powder. Yoghurt‐like fermented products were prepared from the different formulations, stored at 7 ± 2 °C for 15 days, and analysed for chemical composition, pH, microbiological quality, texture profile (TPA), viscosity, syneresis and sensory properties. The addition of WG slurry enhanced acid development during fermentation and increased the viscosity of the fermented products. Nutritious milk‐based fermented products of acceptable composition and quality could be prepared from formulations containing 20% (w/w) WG slurry.