Quantification of MFGM proteins in buttermilk and butter serum by means of a stain free SDS-PAGE method

Lipidomic and Proteomic Profiling of the Milk Fat Globule Membrane from Different Industrial By-Products of the Butter and Butter Oil Manufacturing Process

Recent studies have demonstrated the positive effects of regular intake of milk fat globule membranes (MFGMs) on neural and cognitive development, as well as immune and gastrointestinal health in infants and elders. Dairy products and by-products generated from the butter and butter oil manufacturing process are valuable sources of MFGM. Thus, in view of the growing need to reduce by-products and waste, it is crucial to foster research aimed at the valorization of dairy by-products rich in MFGM. For this purpose, all the by-products coming from butter and butter oil production (from raw milk to the related by-products) were used to study the MFGM isolated fractions, followed by their characterization through a combined lipidomic and proteomic approach. The patterns of polar lipids and proteins indicated that buttermilk (BM), butterserum (BS), and their mix (BM-BS blend) are the most suitable by-products to be employed as starting material for the isolation and purification of MFGMs, thus obtaining MFGM-enriched ingredients for the manufacture of products with high biological activity.

Invited review: Milk fat globule membrane-A possible panacea for neurodevelopment, infections, cardiometabolic diseases, and frailty

Milk is an evolutionary benefit for humans. For infants, it offers optimal nutrients for normal growth, neural development, and protection from harmful microbes. Humans are the only mammals who drink milk throughout their life. Lipids in colostrum originate mostly from milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) droplets extruded from the mammary gland. The MFGM gained much interest as a potential nutraceutical, due to their high phospholipid (PL), ganglioside (GD), and protein contents. In this review, we focused on health effects of MFGM ingredients and dairy food across the life span, especially on neurodevelopment, cardiometabolic health, and frailty in older adults. The MFGM supplements to infants and children reduced gastrointestinal and respiratory tract infections and improved neurodevelopment due to the higher content of protein, PL, and GD in MFGM. The MFGM formulas containing PL and GD improved brain myelination and fastened nerve conduction speed, resulting in improved behavioral developments. Administration of MFGM-rich ingredients improved insulin sensitivity and decreased inflammatory markers, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides by lowering intestinal absorption of cholesterol and increasing its fecal excretion. The MFGM supplements, together with exercise, improved ambulatory activities, leg muscle mass, and muscle fiber velocity in older adults. There are great variations in the composition of lipids and proteins in MFGM products, which make comparisons of the different studies impossible. In addition, investigations of the individual MFGM components are required to evaluate their specific effects and molecular mechanisms. Although we are currently only beginning to understand the possible health effects of MFGM products, the current MFGM supplementation trials as presented in this review have shown significant clinical health benefits across the human life span, which are worth further investigation.

Sources, Production, and Clinical Treatments of Milk Fat Globule Membrane for Infant Nutrition and Well-Being

Research on milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) is gaining traction. The interest is two-fold; on the one hand, it is a unique trilayer structure with specific secretory function. On the other hand, it is the basis for ingredients with the presence of phospho- and sphingolipids and glycoproteins, which are being used as food ingredients with valuable functionality, in particular, for use as a supplement in infant nutrition. This last application is at the center of this Review, which aims to contribute to understanding MFGM's function in the proper development of immunity, cognition, and intestinal trophism, in addition to other potential effects such as prevention of diseases including cardiovascular disease, impaired bone turnover and inflammation, skin conditions, and infections as well as age-associated cognitive decline and muscle loss. The phospholipid composition of MFGM from bovine milk is quite like human milk and, although there are some differences due to dairy processing, these do not result in a chemical change. The MFGM ingredients, as used to improve the formulation in different clinical studies, have indeed increased the presence of phospholipids, sphingolipids, glycolipids, and glycoproteins with the resulting benefits of different outcomes (especially immune and cognitive outcomes) with no reported adverse effects. Nevertheless, the precise mechanism(s) of action of MFGM remain to be elucidated and further basic investigation is warranted.

Recovery of milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) from buttermilk: effect of Ca-binding salts

In this Research Communication we present a study of the effect of Ca-binding salts on the recovery of milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) from buttermilk. Sodium phosphate buffer was used for the purpose of MFGM recovery from buttermilk for the first time and we showed that 0.1 M buffer at pH 7.2 was the most effective for the recovery of MFGM. The fact of high efficacy of sodium phosphate buffer in recovery of MFGM from buttermilk allowed us to suggest that MFGM in buttermilk is present in association with casein through Ca- bridges formed between phospholipids of MFGM and phosphate groups of casein, primarily with k-casein as the peripheral protein of casein micelles.

Determination of lactadherin concentration in dairy by-products by ELISA: Effect of heat treatment and hydrolysis

Lactadherin is a peripheral glycoprotein of the milk fat globule membrane with several attributed biological activities. In this study, we developed an indirect competitive ELISA to determine lactadherin concentration by using a rabbit polyclonal antiserum. The ELISA was applied to quantify lactadherin in several dairy by-products. Of the products tested, raw and commercial buttermilk had the highest concentrations of lactadherin (6.79 and 5.27 mg/g of product, respectively), followed by commercial butter serum (4.86 mg/g), commercial skim milk (4.84 mg/g), and raw whey (1.20 mg/g). The concentration of immunoreactive lactadherin was also determined in dairy by-products after they were subjected to different technological treatments. Thus, raw products were heat treated at combinations of temperature and time typically used in the dairy industry, and commercial products were hydrolyzed using 3 proteolytic enzyme preparations. Heat treatments of whey and buttermilk resulted in a smaller decrease in lactadherin concentration than did hydrolysis as determined by ELISA and electrophoresis. At high temperatures for long durations, the loss of lactadherin was higher in whey than in buttermilk, with the maximal reduction of around 48% found after treating whey at 72°C for 60 min. Hydrolysis of commercial products with proteolytic enzymes resulted in a marked decrease of immunoreactivity within the first 5 min of treatment, which thereafter was constant throughout 4 h of hydrolysis. These results demonstrate that dairy by-products from milk fat processing are good natural sources of lactadherin, although technological processes have to be considered, because they have different effects on lactadherin content.