Membrane material in bovine skim-milk from udder quarters infused with endotoxin and pathogenic organisms

Abstract

SummaryThe effects of infusing endotoxin and a pathogen into different quarters of the udder of the same cow on the appearance and composition of milk membrane material were studied. Milk membrane was prepared by high-speed centrifugation of skim-milk. In samples from the control quarters only, a very thin layer covering the casein pellet was observed, whereas after the infusions it appeared as an opaque diffuse fluffy layer. The fluffy layer persisted for a maximum of 3 d after endotoxin infusion. A similar layer appeared 14 d after infusion of the pathogen and persisted, in spite of antibiotic treatment, throughout the experiment. From comparisons of (a) milk acid phosphatase activities between infused and control quarters, (b) the protein composition of milk membrane, and (c) morphological observations on the distribution of membrane material in milk, it was concluded that milk membrane originates from leucocytes, cell debris from the mammary gland, and the surface of the milk-fat globule membrane. The relative contribution made by these sources to milk membrane from healthy and infected udders is discussed.