Whey Preparation Methods and Thermal Treatment of Milk Affect Recovery of Lactoferrin Using Ion-Exchange Chromatography

Abstract

This study aims to determine the effect of whey preparation method and thermal treatment of milk on recovery of lactoferrin (Lf). Lf was isolated using cation-exchange chromatography from differently prepared wheys, differently heat-treated skim milks and whey powder. The content of Lf was determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Lf was more recovered from cheese whey than that from acid whey. The recovery of Lf from skim milk pasteurized at 62.7C for 30 min and at 71.7C for 15 s was significantly lower than that from unpasteurized skim milk (P < 0.05). The longer skim milk was heated at 71.7C, the less Lf was recovered. Lf was little recovered from commercial milk treated at 130C for 2 s and whey powder. These results suggest that recovery of Lf be apparently affected by whey preparation method and thermal treatment of milk. Practical Applications Lactoferrin (Lf), which is a minor component in milk, has been known to have various beneficial functions in human health. It may be isolated from whey, a by-product of cheese processing. In this study, it was investigated how much Lf was recovered from different types of wheys and differently heat-treated milks. The results of the study would provide useful information to the industry which is interested in isolation and application of Lf.