Delactosed permeate as a source for extracting oligosaccharides and peptides: Compositional variation and processing strategies

Abstract

Bovine milk contains an array of naturally occurring bioactive compounds including oligosaccharides and peptides; however, isolation of these bioactive compounds from traditional dairy streams is challenged by their low concentrations. Delactosed permeate, the dairy side stream resulting from protein isolation by ultrafiltration and lactose crystallization of the ultrafiltration permeate, is a promising, more concentrated, alternative source of these bioactive compounds, but the specific details of their individual compound identities and abundances remain largely unknown. In this study, the composition of 10 commercial delactosed permeate batches from two production facilities were analyzed for their macronutrient, mineral, B vitamin, organic acid, peptide, and glycomic contents. Substantial variations were found between delactosed permeates from the two production sites and between batches within a production facility. These findings highlight the cumulative effects of differences in delactosed permeate production steps, and underscore the need for further research into delactosed permeate's bioactive potential.