Goat Skim Milk Research Articles

Effects of adding autochthonous Lacticaseibacillus paracasei culture on the characteristics of Minas Frescal goat cheese and its survival under simulated gastrointestinal conditions

A freeze-dried lactic acid culture was prepared with an autochthonous strain of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei TRA061676 (Lp-TRA061676), cultivated in skimmed goat milk and its technological suitability in the production of Minas Frescal Goat Cheese (MFGC) was investigated. The viability of the freeze-dried culture was greater than 8.92 Log CFU g−1 during 360 days of storage at −22 °C. Lp-TRA061676 incorporated into MFGC showed remarkable survival, with populations of 9.65 Log CFU g−1 and a survival rate under in vitro gastrointestinal tract conditions of 96.90% for 28 days at 4 °C. Lp-TRA061676 did not modify the proximate composition of MFGC, but it affected the physicochemical characteristics and instrumental color, and improved the product's texture. These results demonstrate the suitability of Lp-TRA061676 for producing MFGC and the potential of this cheese to be used as an effective matrix to protect the strain from gastrointestinal conditions.

Nonthermal concentration of skimmed goat milk by forward osmosis: The insights into process performance and product quality

Nonthermal processing technologies have been gained increasing attention in the dairy industry recently. In this study, the feasibility and effects of forward osmosis (FO) process as a nonthermal technique in the concentration of skimmed goat milk (SGM) were assessed and compared with thermal evaporation. The effects of operational conditions including membrane orientation, crossflow rate, concentration of draw solution (DS), and temperature of feed solution (FS) on process performance and concentration efficiency were explored. The total solids content of raw SGM can be increased from 9.07% to 18.78% through a single-stage FO process to reach a concentration factor of 2.0. Membrane fouling could be mitigated by improving the crossflow rate. Osmotic backwash proved to be the most effective cleaning approach to restore membrane performance with a flux recovery rate reaching 100%. The nonthermal FO process showed the superior performance to traditional thermal evaporation in retaining the natural characteristics of milk. Economic and energy evaluation indicated that such FO process with a pilot scale could be promising in the milk concentration at a low cost of $2.69/m3 with a low energy consumption of 4.80 kWh/m3. It could be an effective and promising concentration approach for producing concentrated milk with promoted quality.

Heating affects protein digestion of skimmed goat milk proteins with different casein:whey ratios under simulated infant conditions

This research compared effects of heating on the digestion of goat milk proteins in skimmed goat milk model systems with different casein-to-whey protein ratios. The digestion was evaluated both the supernatant and gastric clot part of the digesta. Whey protein concentrates were added in skimmed goat milk (80% casein, C80 sample) to make a 40% casein sample (C40 sample). Heating at 65 °C showed limited influence on digestibility of proteins in supernatant and clot of both model systems. In the supernatant, the C80 sample had a higher soluble protein concentration after 85 °C heating, compared to the C40 sample. After heating at 85 °C for 30 min, the digestibility of proteins in the supernatant of C40 and C80 samples was increased. This heating also increased the casein digestibility of the gastric clot of C80 sample, but resulted in more undigested whey protein aggregates in C40 sample. For the difference between C80 and C40 sample, the proteins in the supernatant of C80 samples showed a higher digestibility than those in the supernatant of C40 samples, both in non-heated and in 85 °C heated samples. The clots of C40 sample showed a relatively higher digestion rate than C80 sample clots, which may be due to their higher water content and looser microstructure. Overall, this study showed that heating induced different digestion kinetics of goat milk model systems with different casein-to-whey ratios.

Goat milk powders enriched with grape pomace seed extract: Physical and techno-functional properties

This study aimed to evaluate the physical (particle size and ζ-potential) and techno-functional properties (emulsifying and foaming) of goat milk powders enriched with grape pomace seed extract (TME), as promising food ingredients in the formulation of functional food. Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) and Raman spectroscopies, along with advanced chemometric tools were employed as well as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for analyzing TME powders. All powders exhibited a unimodal particle size distribution and ζ-potential values more negative than −36 mV. ATR-FTIR and Raman spectroscopies combined with principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated distinct separation among skimmed goat milk (M), thermally treated skimmed goat milk (TM), and TME powders in different spectral regions (amide I, II, III, and fingerprint region). This separation resulted from the applied thermal treatment, the presence of phenolic compounds and their complexes with goat milk proteins, and the formation of Maillard reaction products. SEM analysis confirmed the different morphology and shapes of M, TM and TME powders. The 0.1% solutions of M, TM and TME exhibited good emulsifying properties (emulsion activity index and emulsion stability index) but showed poor foaming properties, except for the M sample. Solution concentrations higher than 0.1% for all samples (0.5% and 1.0%) displayed poor techno-functional properties. In summary, a schematic representation of the arrangement of casein micelles in 0.1% M, TM and TME samples, on oil/water and air/water surfaces was provided. The production of TME powders represents an innovative strategy for waste recovery in the production of functional food ingredients with good emulsifying properties.

Structure and in vitro digestion characteristics of skim goat milk protein during processing: effects of fat separation.

Although nonfat milk has been used worldwide in the industrial dairy process, little is known about the effects of fat separation during the manufacturing process on skim milk's structural and digestive properties. This study investigated the effects of the manufacturing process on the structure and in vitro digestion properties of skim goat milk, particularly emphasizing fat separation. Changes in the surface charge and hydrophobicity of milk proteins caused by fat separation resulted in oxidation and aggregation in the subsequent homogenization, heat and spray-drying processing, which affected its digestibility. Compared with separation by dish separator (DS), skim milk after tubular centrifugal separation (CS) showed a higher initial and final digestibility. The CS samples also had a lower surface hydrophobicity level and higher free sulfhydryl content, ζ-potential, and average particle size (P < 0.05). Goat milk protein after CS was more readily oxidized and aggregated during the subsequent homogenization and heat treatment, as evidenced by the higher carbonyl content and particle size. Centrifugal separation also converted more β-sheets to α-helices, thus promoting the aggregation of oxidized skim milk protein. The skim milk after CS and DS demonstrated different structural and digestive properties. Skim goat milk products after CS were more susceptible to oxidant-induced protein structural changes, resulting in higher protein digestibility. These findings provide insights into the mechanism involved in the control of gastric digestion of skim milk during manufacturing process. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Goat milk concentrated by nanofiltration: flow decline modeling and characterization

The skimmed goat milk was submitted to the nanofiltration process using a volume reduction factor (VRF) equal to 2. It was verified a rapid decrease of the permeate flux at a low time, with a continuous flux, caused by the reversible resistance, which is characterized by the standard and complete blocking. The combined fouling model was evaluated, including complete pore blocking and cake filtration mechanism, which described the skimmed goat milk nanofiltration behavior. For the VRF equal to 2 was determined the total solids, protein, lactose, ash, mineral fraction content, which increased successfully with the nanofiltration process. The Power Law and Herschel-Buckley models were fitting to describe the flow behavior for retentate, which presented the higher apparent viscosity.

Bioaccessibility of Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Properties of Goat-Milk Powder Fortified with Grape-Pomace-Seed Extract after In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion

This study deals with the evaluation of the bioaccessibility and antioxidant properties of phenolic compounds from heat-treated skim goat-milk powder fortified with grape-pomace-seed extract, after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection and mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD MS/MS) analysis confirmed the abundant presence of phenolic acids and flavan-3-ols in the grape-pomace-seed extract (SE) and heat-treated skim goat-milk/seed-extract powder (TME). After in vitro digestion of TME powder and recovery of total quantified phenolics, flavan-3-ols and phenolic acids were 18.11%, 24.54%, and 1.17%, respectively. Low recovery of grape-pomace-seed phenolics indicated strong milk protein-phenolic interactions. Electrophoretic analysis of a soluble fraction of digested heat-treated skim goat milk (TM) and TME samples showed the absence of bands originating from milk proteins, indicating their hydrolysis during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The digested TME sample had better antioxidant properties in comparison to the digested TM sample (except for the ferrous ion-chelating capacity, FCC), due to the presence of bioaccessible phenolics. Taking into account the contribution of the digestive cocktail, digested TME sample had lower values of total phenolic content (TPC), in vitro phosphomolybdenum reducing capacity (TAC) and ferric reducing power (FRP), compared to the undigested TME sample. These results could be attributed to low recovery of phenolic compounds. TME powder could be a good carrier of phenolics to the colon; thus, TME powder could be a promising ingredient in the formulation of functional food.

Heating affects protein digestion of skimmed goat milk under simulated infant conditions

The objective of this research was to analyse the effects of heating on digestion of skimmed goat milk proteins. Most previous goat milk digestion studies evaluated the digestion only based on the supernatant. In this study, digestion of skimmed goat milk was studied in both supernatant and gastric clot. The results indicated that, compared to mild temperature heated samples (≤75 °C), samples heated at ≥80 °C showed more extensive gastric clot formation with a higher protein digestion rate, but also resulted in a larger amount of undigested whey proteins due to its severe aggregation. For the peptidome, β-casein was the major source of bioactive peptides. The samples heated at 65 °C showed higher bioactive peptide abundances, whereas at temperatures higher than 75 °C, it was reduced due to cleavage into smaller peptides. Overall, this study showed that different heating temperatures induced different whey protein denaturation degrees, which affected their digestion in skimmed goat milk..

Effect of incorporation of skimmed milk and guar gum on physico-chemical, textural and sensory properties of goat milk paneer

In this study, the processing of goat milk paneer was attempted by replacement of full-fat goat milk with skimmed goat milk and addition of guar gum (GG). A total of five treatments viz., FF (full-fat goat milk without GG), FFSMG11 (full-fat and skimmed goat milk in 1:1 ratio + 0.075% GG), FFSMG13 (full-fat and skimmed goat milk in 1:3 ratio + 0.075% GG), SMG (skimmed goat milk + 0.075% GG) and SM (skimmed goat milk without GG) were prepared and quality was evaluated. Paneer yield was significantly (p<0.05) lower in SM (10.95%) as compared to FF (15.73%). The SM paneer had significantly (p<0.05) higher moisture (59.68%), protein (30.07%) and ash (2.29%) contents and lower fat content (1.67%) than full-fat paneer (FF) (moisture 52.17%, protein 17.19%, ash 1.62 and fat 24.12%). The Hunter colour (lightness and redness), textural (hardness, adhesiveness, gumminess and chewiness) and dynamic rheological (storage modulus and viscosity) properties of paneer were significantly (p<0.05) affected by addition of skimmed goat milk and guar gum. Paneer prepared from FFSMG13 (full-fat and skim goat milk in 1:3 ratio + 0.075% GG) received higher (p<0.05) sensory scores. The study suggests that paneer can be prepared by replacement of full-fat goat milk with the above levels of skimmed goat milk and guar gum without affecting sensory attributes.

Peptide profiling of goat milk fermented by Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. delbrueckii BD7: Identification of potential biological activity

Abstract. Rubak YT, Nuraida L, Iswantini D, Prangdimurti E, Sanam MUE. 2021. Peptide profiling of goat milk fermented by Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. delbrueckii BD7: Identification of potential biological activity. Biodiversitas 22: 3136-3145. This study investigated the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity in fermented goat milk by Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. delbrueckii BD7, characterizing the peptide and its potential as a bioactive peptide. The starter culture (2%) was inoculated into pasteurized goat skim milk (11%), then incubated at 37 °C until it reached pH 4.6. Centrifugation at 6000 g x 10 minutes at 4 °C was applied. The supernatant obtained was then ultrafiltrated using a membrane cut-off with a molecular weight of 3 kDa, and the fraction obtained was analyzed to determine the inhibitory activity of ACE. Peptides were characterized using Nano LC / MS / MS, and identification as bioactive peptides was carried out based on a literature review. ACE inhibitory activity of fermented goat milk of Lb. delbrueckii ssp. delbrueckii BD7 was 55.98 ± 3.53%. A total of 157 peptides were released with molecular weights ranging from 770.78 - 2081.12 Da and having 7-19 amino acid residues. The main peptide was hydrolyzed from casein (72.6%), cleavage in the parent protein, specific for aliphatic and aromatic amino acids. Identification of bioactive peptides based on the similarity of amino acid residues at C-terminal obtained 28 ACE inhibitor peptides, 19 antioxidant peptides, and ten antimicrobial peptides. Some of these peptides have homologous sequences with previously reported peptides. Lb. delbrueckii ssp. delbrueckii BD7 has the potential as a starter culture to produce fermented milk, which is rich in biological activity.

Polyphenol bioaccessibility and antioxidant properties of in vitro digested spray-dried thermally-treated skimmed goat milk enriched with pollen

The aim of research was to determine polyphenols bioaccessibility and antioxidant properties of thermally-treated skimmed goat milk enriched with sunflower bee-collected pollen through in vitro digestion. HPLC analysis confirmed that pollen-enriched milk contained flavonols as the main phenolic fraction (80.7–76.2%) followed by phenolic acids (14.2–17.4%). Among individual compounds quercetin-3-O-glucoside (155.1–197.2 μg/L) and p-coumaric acid (29.5–30.7 μg/L) were the main quantified flavonols and phenolic acids, respectively. After digestion of milk/pollen sample, total polyphenols recovery was 30.71% with higher phenolic acids recovery (40.1%) compared to flavonols (28.3%) indicating strong interactions between caprine milk casein micelles and pollen polyphenols. Applied antioxidant assays (phosphomolybdenum, ABTS•+scavenging activity and ferrous-ion-chelating capacity) have confirmed complexity of prepared product- it had high ability to quench ABTS•+ radicals and to form chelating complexes with Fe2+ ions. Digestion provoked 20% reduction in total antioxidant capacity compared to the initial sample. TTSG milk/pollen powder could be good functional ingredient.

Structural changes in cow, goat, and sheep skim milk during dynamic in vitro gastric digestion

Coagulation of milk in the stomach is the first crucial step in its digestion. Using a human gastric simulator, the dynamic gastric digestion of goat and sheep skim milk were compared with that of cow skim milk, focusing particularly on their physical characteristics. The gastric contents were analyzed for changes in dry matter and microstructure, and the extent of protein digestion. The study revealed that the skim milk from all species formed a curd within the first 15 min of gastric digestion, at which time the pH was ~6.1 to 6.3. Compared with cow skim milk, the dry matter contents of the clots formed from goat and sheep skim milk were lower and higher, respectively, which was due to the differences in their total solids and protein contents. Microstructural analysis showed that, as digestion progressed, the clot structure became more cohesive, along with a decrease in moisture content, which in turn affected the breakdown and hydrolysis of caseins by pepsin; this phenomenon was similar for milk from all species. However, the extent of moisture retained in the sheep skim milk clot appeared to be lower than those of the cow and goat skim milk clots. In addition, the relative firmness of the sheep milk clot was higher than those of the cow and goat milk clots at the end of gastric digestion. The pattern of protein hydrolysis by pepsin was similar for the milk of all species, despite the differences in the proportions of different proteins. The study provided insight into the coagulation kinetics of goat and sheep skim milk under in vitro gastric digestion conditions.

Stability Evaluation of pH-Adjusted Goat Milk for Developing Ricotta Cheese with a Mixture of Cow Cheese Whey and Goat Milk.

Excess summer milk and a lack of product diversity are major problems facing Taiwan’s dairy goat industry. Gouda and Mozzarella cheeses made with cow milk are popular products for leisure farms in Taiwan, and they produce a large amount of cheese whey as waste. Our objective is to identify the unstable phenomena of pH-adjusted goat milk through the use of Turbiscan Lab® Expert and to produce ricotta cheeses using cow cheese whey waste and excess goat milk. Delta backscattering (∆BS) profiles and the Turbiscan stability index (TSI) were used to evaluate the stability characteristics of goat milk adjusted to pH 6.7–5.2. The results show coagulation phenomena in skimmed goat milk and sedimentation phenomena in full-fat goat milk, when the pH was adjusted to 5.2. The TSI values of goat milk at pH 5.7 and 5.2 were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of a control. Therefore, 80/20 cow cheese whey/skimmed goat milk and 80/20 cow cheese whey/full-fat goat milk mixtures were acidified to pH 5.5 and heated at 90 °C for 30 min to produce ricotta cheeses A and B. The hardness value, moisture, protein, and ash contents of ricotta cheese A were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of ricotta cheese B, but no significant difference was found in terms of sensory evaluation.

LOW-FAT CUPUASSU GOAT MILK YOGURT OPTIMIZATION BY JUST-ABOUT-RIGHT SCALE / OTIMIZAÇÃO DE IOGURTE DE LEITE DE CABRA DE CUPUAÇU COM BAIXO TEOR DE GORDURA EM UMA ESCALA QUASE CERTA

Goat milk products have been characterized by unusual consumers with lower acceptance due to their flavor and odor known as goaty. In this context, it was aimed to optimize the cupuassu goat milk yogurt formulation by fat-replaces addition using a Just-about-Right scale (JAR). Five treatments were performed: whole goat milk (W); skimmed goat milk (S); inulin (SI); maltodextrin (SM); and whey protein (SW). The cupuassu goat milk yogurts were evaluated by acceptability index, JAR and penalty analysis. The addition of inulin, maltodextrin and whey protein increase consumer acceptance and purchase intention. However, lower scores were observed for flavor. In Just-about-analyses, caprine flavor and odor were rates as a JAR. All the treatment was penalized as lower cupuassu flavor and odor. These results suggest that the addition of fat-replaces and cupuassu pulp improves the sensory characteristics of skimmed goat milk yogurt.

Separation of serum proteins and micellar casein from skim goat milk by pilot‐scale 0.05‐μm pore‐sized ceramic membrane at 50°C

AbstractThe fractionation of serum protein (SP) and micellar casein (CN) from skim milk can be accomplished using microfiltration (MF). The objective of this study was to determine the removal of total SP using a 0.05‐μm ceramic membrane at each stage of production, as well as the composition of retentates and permeates for a three‐stage, 3×, discontinuous bleed‐and‐feed process. The average flux of ceramic membrane obtained from our results was 96.25 kg/m2 per hour. The cumulative removal rate of actual SP is 96.2% at Stages 1, 2, and 3 (58.1%, 25.0%, and 13.0%, respectively), closely related to the theoretical value of 96%. In addition, the rate of removal of lactose, ash, calcium, and phosphorus were 86.44%, 82.68%, 34.9%, and 55.0%, respectively. The water flux of the membrane reduced by 55.57% after MF, while membrane flux recovered to 99.21% after cleaning with 2% (w/v) sodium hydroxide and 1% (v/v) nitric acid solution. Moreover, permeates and retentates were concentrated by vacuum and spray drier in order to obtain serum and micelle CN powder having protein contents of 10.19% and 75.57%, respectively.Practical applicationsThis article proposes high‐efficiency fractionation of macromolecules and small molecules by membrane technology using skim milk as raw material. Permeate was used to produce high‐quality SP products, which was essentially sterile and fat‐free, and had better solubility, foaming, and gelation than cheese whey protein. And retentates can be directly used for micelle CN powder or cheese production. The composition of the cheese produced was similar to that of traditional cheese. It improves the quality of the products and reduces environmental pollution. In addition, the study also provided a theoretical and applied basis for the membrane separation process of goat milk and the research and development of functional goat milk‐based ingredient.

Antioxidative activity and protein profile of skim milk of Gaddi goats and hill cattle of North West Himalayan region.

Aim:This study was aimed at evaluation of antioxidative activity, protein profile, and vitamins content of milk of Gaddi goats, local non-Gaddi goats, hill cattle, and Jersey crossbred cattle.Materials and Methods:Total phenol, antioxidant activity measured as 2, 2-diphenyl- 1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity, total protein, and vitamins were estimated in milk samples by spectrophotometric methods. Milk protein profiles were studied by sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.Results:Total phenol, antioxidant activity, and total protein were higher in indigenous hill cattle skim milk. Average protein content in raw skimmed milk was 1.33±0.01, 1.03±0.02, 0.76±0.05, and 0.81±0.01%, in indigenous hill cattle, Jersey crossbred cattle, non -Gaddi goat, and Gaddi goat, respectively. Three proteins of 19.01, 22.08, and 32.96 kDa were observed in Gaddi goat, but not in non -Gaddi goat skim milk. Furthermore, the above proteins were absent in cattle skim milk. Two proteins of 15.56 and 25.06 kDa were found in local hill and crossbred cattle skimmed milk, but were absent in goat skimmed milk. Vitamin C content was the lowest in Gaddi goat milk and the highest in Jersey crossbred cattle milk.Conclusion:It is envisaged that bioactive metabolites in the milk of Gaddi goats and hill cattle might offer anti-aging and beneficial health effects.

Performance of Skim Goat Milk Mineral Content Subjected to the Block Freeze Concentration Process

The aim of this study was to evaluate the goat milk mineral performance concentrated by block freeze concentration process. Twenty batches of skim goat milk, each one with one liter, were subjected until the third stage of the freeze concentration process. The initial skim goat milk, concentrated, and ice fractions obtained were analyzed by calcium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, sodium and potassium content. Results showed that phosphorus content not increased (P &lt; 0.05) with the increase of freeze concentration stages, for concentrated and ice fractions. In the first stage of freeze concentration process, the magnesium element showed the higher (P &lt; 0.05) efficiency (95%). However, the higher (P &lt; 0.05) concentration factor was determinate to calcium element in the third stage of the process. Also, it was observed an increase in the minerals contents evaluated with the increasing of freeze concentration stages of skim goat milk. Based on results obtained in the present study, the skim goat milk concentrated obtained in the first stage showed the best performance of skim goat milk mineral content concentration.

Rheological and structural characterization of acidified skim milks and infant formulae made from cow and goat milk

In this study, the viscoelastic properties of goat and cow skim milks and infant formula gels induced by acidification using Glucono-δ-Lactone (GDL) were investigated by small and large deformation rheology. The microstructures of the gels were characterized via the combination of confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), ultra-small angle neutron scattering (USANS), small angle neutron scattering (SANS), and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Compared to cow infant formula gels, goat infant formula gels displayed a lower elasticity and breaking stress. Similar differences were also observed in the gels of skim goat milk and skim cow milk. Moreover, for an infant formula from the same animal species, the one with a higher casein to whey ratio exhibited a stronger mechanical gel network. CLSM observations and USANS-SANS analysis indicated that thinner protein strands and more open protein networks with higher porosity were formed in the goat milk gels than in the cow milk gels, confirming the rheological findings. Finally, SAXS revealed that the internal structure of casein micelles from goat and cow milk are different and that as expected the calcium phosphate nanoclusters (CCP) are solubilized upon acidification. The observed differences in mechanical and microstructural properties may impact the digestive behavior, as reported in previous studies.

Physicochemical, Nutritional, and Organoleptic Characterization of a Skimmed Goat Milk Fermented with the Probiotic Strain Lactobacillus plantarum C4.

The benefits of goat milk, fermented milks, and probiotics for the humans are well documented. In this study, a novel fermented goat milk was manufactured with the putative probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum C4 together with L. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Ultrafiltration was chosen as the skimmed milk concentration method because it produced the best viscosity and syneresis and a high casein content. The viability rate of all bacterial strains was >107 cfu/mL, even after 5 weeks of storage or after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, which is especially important for exertion of the probiotic strain functionalities. This fermented milk is also a good source of nutrients, having a low lactose and fat content, high protein proportion, and good mineral concentration. According to these data and the overall acceptability described by panelists, this fermented milk is a healthy dairy product comparable with commercially available fermented milks.

Neuroprotective effect of a new variant of Epo nonhematopoietic against oxidative stress

Human erythropoietin is mainly recognized for its hematopoietic function; however, by binding to its receptor (EpoR), it can activate different signaling pathways as STAT, PI3K, MAPK and RAS to increase cellular differentiation or provide neuroprotective effects, among others. A recombinant human erythropoietin variant with low glycosylation and without hematopoietic effect (EpoL) was purified from skimmed goat milk. Recombinant human erythropoietin (Epo) was obtained from CHO cell line and used as control to compare EpoL effects. Neuroprotection studies were performed in PC12 cells and rat hippocampal slices. Cells were pretreated during 1h with EpoL or Epo and exposed to oxidative agents (H2O2 or FCCP); cell viability was assayed at the end of the experiment by the MTT method. Hippocampal slices were exposed to 15min of oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) and the neuroprotective drugs EpoL or Epo were incubated for 2h post-OGD in re-oxygenated medium. Cell cultures stressed with oxidative agents, and pretreated with EpoL, showed neuroprotective effects of 30% at a concentration 10 times lower than that of Epo. Moreover, similar differences were observed in OGD ex vivo assays. Neuroprotection elicited by EpoL was lost when an antibody against EpoR was present, indicating that its effect is EpoR-dependent. In conclusion, our results suggest that EpoL has a more potent neuroprotective profile than Epo against oxidative stress, mediated by activation of EpoR, thus EpoL represents an important target to develop a potential biopharmaceutical to treat different central nervous system pathologies related to oxidative stress such as stroke or neurodegenerative diseases.