Isolation and characterization of whey phospholipids

A freeze-dried whey powder was produced by microfiltration of Cheddar cheese whey. A 0.2-micron ceramic membrane in a stainless steel housing unit was used to concentrate components > 400 kDa present in the whey. The experimental whey powder, derived from Cheddar cheese whey, and a commercial whey powder were subjected to proximate analysis, lipid classes, phospholipid classes, and fatty acid compositional analyses. Commercial whey powder and commercial soybean lecithin were subjected to an alcohol fractionation procedure in an effort to alter the ratio of phosphatidyl choline to phosphatidyl ethanolamine and the functionality of dairy phospholipids. The fractionation procedure produced an alcohol-insoluble fraction containing 84% phosphatidyl ethanolamine, whereas the alcohol-soluble fraction resulted in a decrease in the phosphatidyl choline to phosphatidyl ethanolamine ratio. The commercial whey contained a higher ratio of phospholipids to neutral lipids compared with the experimental whey. The classes of phospholipids present within the two wheys were similar, whereas the experimental whey contained a phosphatidyl choline content twice that of the commercial whey, and the phospholipids composition of both wheys differed from the milk fat globule membrane. Comparison of the phospholipids and fatty acid composition of the wheys with the soy lecithin revealed that although the wheys were similar to each other, they differed from the soy lecithin in both the classes of phospholipids present and in the fatty acid composition. These compositional differences may influence the functionality of whey phospholipids.