The proteolytic specificity of chymosin (EC 3.4.23.4) on bovine αs1-casein at 30°C in phosphate buffer, pH 6·5 and at pH 5·2 in the presence of 5% (w/v) NaCl was investigated. Peptides (pH 4·6-soluble) were isolated by reversed-phase HPLC and identified from their amino acid sequence; the identity of some peptides was confirmed by mass spectrometry and/or amino acid composition. The small peptides produced at pH 6·5 were Arg1–Phe23, Phe24–Phe28, Phe24–Leu40(?), Phe150–Phe153, Phe150–Leu156, Tyr154–Tyr159, Tyr154–Trp164, Asp157–Trp164 and Tyr165–Trp199. The same peptides, except Tyr154–Trp164, were produced at pH 5·2 in the presence of NaCl and, in addition, the peptides Arg1–Leu11, Phe24–Phe32, Lys102–Leu142, Ala143-Leu149 and Tyr165-Phe179. The rates of production of individual peptides differed under the two conditions studied but Arg1-Phe23 and Tyr165–Trp199 were the first and second peptides produced under both conditions. Pathways are proposed to interpret the proteolysis of αs1-casein in solution under the conditions of this study.

1. Three spray-dried separated milk powders with moisture contents of 2·9, 4·7 and 7·3% (3 hr. air oven) or 3·0, 5·0 and 7·6% (20 hr. vacuum oven) were packed in air and in almost pure nitrogen, in gas-tight cans, and stored at 20·0, 28·5 and 37° C, for a period of nearly 2 years.

2. The powders were examined at intervals for palatability, colour, pH, equilibrium relative humidity (indicating crystallization of the lactose), conversion of β-lactose to α-lactose hydrate, decrease in total soluble lactose, absorption of oxygen, production of carbon dioxide, solubility in water at 20 and at 50 or 60° C, changes in the distribution of soluble nitrogen, reducing power towards potassium ferricyanide, base-binding capacity, formol titration, weight of the undialysable fraction, free amino-nitrogen by the Van Slyke method, sugar attached to the protein, and bacterial content.

The isolation and identification of low molecular mass peptides formed during the ripening of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is described. A strategy was used based on the fractionation of nitrogenous material using chemical methods followed by HPLC to isolate peptides and fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry to identify them. It was found that the majority of cheese oligopeptides arose from the proteolysis of β-casein. Several phosphopeptides and oligopeptides known in vivo to be biologically active have also been identified during the ripening of cheese.

Twelve cows were experimentally infected in two quarters with 1 × 104 cfu Escherichia coli per quarter and six cows were infused with 500 μg endotoxin into two quarters. Six cows infected intramammarily with Esch. coli were treated intravenously with a bactericidal antibiotic 10 h after infection and subcutaneously 20 h later. Blood and milk samples were collected from all cows at regular time intervals. Milk production decreased more rapidly, but was less pronounced, after endotoxin infusion than during Esch. coli mastitis. The milk production losses in the non-inflamed quarters were negligible in endotoxin mastitis, but were substantial during Esch. coli mastitis, probably due to more pronounced systemic effects. Reticulo-rumen motility was inhibited only during Esch. coli mastitis. Changes in plasma haptoglobin were more pronounced during Esch. coli mastitis, although they occurred sooner during endotoxin mastitis. No changes in plasma activities of enzymes such as lactate dehydrogenase, glutamic–oxaloacetic transaminase and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase were observed. Concentrations of tumour necrosis factor-α increased in both types of mastitis. Absorption of these cytokines into the circulation was highest during Esch. coli mastitis, especially in the untreated control group. We found only minor differences between the treated and untreated Esch. coli groups, but there were larger differences between the Esch. coli groups and the endotoxin group. These differences were probably due to differences in kinetics, composition and amounts of different cytokines released in the mammary gland and subsequently absorption into the circulation. Endotoxin is probably not directly responsible for the systemic changes during coliform mastitis.

Heat (85 °C for 20 min) and pressure (600 MPa for 15 min) treatments were applied to skim milk fortified by addition of whey protein concentrate. Both treatments caused > 90% denaturation of β-lactoglobulin. During heat treatment this denaturation took place in the presence of intact casein micelles; during pressure treatment it occurred while the micelles were in a highly dissociated state. As a result micelle structure and the distribution of β-lactoglobulin were different in the two milks. Electron microscopy and immunolabelling techniques were used to examine the milks after processing and during their transition to yogurt gels. The disruption of micelles by high pressure caused a significant change in the appearance of the milk which was quantified by measurement of the colour values L*, a* and b*. Heat treatment also affected these characteristics. Casein micelles are dynamic structures, influenced by changes to their environment. This was clearly demonstrated by the transition from the clusters of small irregularly shaped micelle fragments present in cold pressure-treated milk to round, separate and compact micelles formed on warming the milk to 43 °C. The effect of this transition was observed as significant changes in the colour indicators. During yogurt gel formation, further changes in micelle structure, occurring in both pressure and heat-treated samples, resulted in a convergence of colour values. However, the microstructure of the gels and their rheological properties were very different. Pressure-treated milk yogurt had a much higher storage modulus but yielded more readily to large deformation than the heated milk yogurt. These changes in micelle structure during processing and yogurt preparation are discussed in terms of a recently published micelle model.

The effects of somatic cell count and stage of lactation on the yield and quality of Cheddar cheese were investigated. Cheese was manufactured in a pilotscale factory using milk of low bulk milk cell count (BMCC) from herds in early (LE) and late (LL) lactation, and milk of high BMCC from herds in early (HE) and late (HL) lactation. The deleterious effect of an elevated BMCC on product yield and quality in late lactation was clear. Cheese made from LL milk was significantly superior to that made from HL milk for most yield and quality characteristics measured. Stage of lactation also affected cheese yield and quality, as evidenced by the lower recovery of fat and poorer flavour score for cheese from LL milk compared with that manufactured from LE milk. The observed differences could be explained largely by differences in raw milk composition. We conclude that the effect of stage of lactation was magnified by an elevated BMCC, and that many of the problems encountered when processing late season milk could be overcome by containing mastitis at this time.

αs1-, αs2-, β- and κ-caseins from Somali camels (Camelus dromedarius) were purified by acid precipitation at pH 4·4, crudely separated into an α-CN and a β-CN fraction and further purified by reversed-phase HPLC. Fragments of tryptic digests were sequenced. Amino acid patterns obtained were used to screen a cDNA library constructed from mRNA from lactating udder tissue. Full length clones corresponding to the four caseins were sequenced. The numbers of residues in the sequences deduced were αs1-CN 207, αs2-CN 178, β-CN 217, κ-CN 162. Percentage similarity to bovine proteins was αs1-CN A 39, αs2-CN 56, β-CN 64, κ-CN 56. Acid-precipitated casein of pooled milk was separated by reversed-phase HPLC and monitored at 220 nm, and its composition, estimated from peak integration, was (g/kg total casein) αs1-CN 220, αs2-CN 95, β-CN 650, κ-CN 35. Degrees of phosphorylation and glycosylation were determined by laser ionization mass spectrometry and sequence pattern analysis. Molecular masses determined were (kDa) αs1-CN A, 24·755 and 24·668; αs1-CN B, 25·293; αs2-CN 21·993; β-CN, 24·900; κ-CN 22·294–22·987. The pH values of the most probable isoelectric points were: αs1-CN A 6P 4·41, αs1-CN B 6P 4·40, αs2-CN 9P 4·58, β-CN 4P 4·66, κ-CN 1P, with ten sialic acid residues bound, 4·10.

Fatty acids are the major source of energy for most tissues during periods of negative energy balance; however, fatty acids can, in some circumstances, have pathological effects. Fatty acids are stored as triacylglycerols (TAG), mostly in the various adipose tissue depots of the body. However, if blood unesterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels are elevated for prolonged periods, as may occur during lactation or obesity, TAG can accumulate in other tissues including liver and muscle cells (myocytes), and this can have pathological consequences such as the development of ketosis (Grummer, 1993; Drackley et al. 2001) or type 2 diabetes (Boden & Shulman, 2002; McGarry, 2002).

The composition of the volatile fraction of milk from cows was investigated in a survey of milk samples using a headspace sampling technique and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS). Milk samples were collected from 12 farms, selected for similar management, breed and level of production. Farms were also grouped according to the type of forage in the ration: (1) hay; (2) hay and maize silage; (3) hay, maize silage and grass silages. Forty-one compounds in milk were isolated and identified from GC-MS headspace analysis. Quantitatively, the most representative chemical class was ketones (eight compounds, 170 μg/kg), followed by aldehydes (nine compounds, 63 μg/kg), alcohols (eight compounds, 36 μg/kg), and lower amounts of hydrocarbons (six compounds), sulphur compounds (three compounds), esters (four compounds) and terpenes (three compounds). The novel headspace sampling technique, and the consequent reduction of sample pre-treatment, allowed the identification of low-molecular weight volatile compounds, and reduced the risk of producing artefacts during analysis.

Discriminant analysis was used to identify a classification criterion for milk samples, using type of forage in the ration as a grouping variable. Posterior probability error rate indicated that aldehydes provided one of the best discriminant criteria for grouping milks according to ration composition. When all 41 identified volatile compounds were included, discriminant analysis selected nine compounds (acetone, 2,3-butanedione, 2-butanone, ethanol, acetaldehyde, ethylacetate, ethylisovalerate, dimethylsulphone) that did not fail the tolerance test and which correctly classified 100% of the original cases.

The proteolysis of highly purified samples of αs1-, αs2-, β-and κ-caseins by porcine plasmin and by bovine plasminogen with urokinase has been examined principally by gel electrophoresis. The resulting peptide band patterns were compared with those of total proteose-peptone (TPP) samples prepared from fresh and stored raw and pasteurized milk, and also with those obtained during the natural course of proteolysis by indigenous enzymes in milk during storage. TPP was found to contain at least 38 components detectable by a single electrophoresis run. Apart from residual traces of whey proteins and intact caseins nearly all of these components were fragments of caseins produced by indigenous plasmin, with products from the breakdown of αs1- and β-casein predominating. Over 90 % of TPP has been accounted for in this way. A fragment consisting of residues 29–105 of β-casein was isolated and characterized from both stored milk and from plasmin digests of β-casein. This fragment was a relatively major product of the natural proteolysis occurring during storage of milk, but contrary to a report in the literature it was not the same as proteose-peptone component 8-slow. Since many of the components of TPP resulted from proteolysis, the composition of TPP was found to vary according to the time and temperature of storage of the milk from which it was prepared. Thus, while the proteose-peptone fraction of milk can easily be defined operationally it cannot be rigorously defined in terms of its composition unless the history of the milk is also defined.

The heat-induced binding of whey proteins to milk fat globule membranes in whole milk was investigated by quantitative electrophoresis and laser scanning densitometry. Both α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin bound to the surfaces of fat globules when milk was heated in a water bath in the temperature range 65–85 °C. The interaction behaviour of α-lactalbumin did not seem to change with temperature, and the total amount of protein bound was ∼ 0·2 mg/g fat contained in the cream. The quantity of βlactoglobulin interacting with the milk fat globules increased with temperature from 02 to 0·7 mg/g fat between 65° and 85 °C. Even in whole milk heated at batch pasteurization temperatures (60–65 °C), α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin were found attached to the fat globules. The interactions of the whey proteins with intact fat globule membranes were also investigated in milk heated in an industrial system (a pilot scale UHT and high temperature short time module), and the results were compared with those from the laboratory treatment (simple batch heating). The binding of the whey proteins to fat globules differed between milk heated by UHT using indirect steam heating or direct steam injection (DSI). However, the surface load in milk treated by DSI was not comparable to that of milk treated by batch heating or indirect steam heating, because of the changes in fat globule size and membrane composition caused by the DSI process.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of enzymatic hydrolysis with digestive enzymes of camel whole casein and beta-casein (β-CN) on their antioxidant and Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory properties. Peptides in each hydrolysate were fractionated with ultra-filtration membranes. The antioxidant activity was determined using a Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) scale. After enzymatic hydrolysis, both antioxidant and ACE-inhibitory activities of camel whole casein and camel β-CN were enhanced. Camel whole casein and β-CN showed significant ACE-inhibitory activities after hydrolysis with pepsin alone and after pepsinolysis followed by trypsinolysis and chymotrypsinolysis. Camel β-CN showed high antioxidant activity after hydrolysis with chymotrypsin. The results of this study suggest that when camel milk is consumed and digested, the produced peptides start to act as natural antioxidants and ACE-inhibitors.

Lactobacilli, often used as effectors of host functions, could play an important role in maintaining human health by controlling other intestinal microorganisms capable of producing harmful effects. Using an experimental model, we studied the effect of different oral doses of Lactobacillus casei on the secretory IgA response and the protective capacity of the microorganism in preventing intestinal infections. The optimization of the protective dose of Lb. casei by previous feeding and the use of the lactobacillus as an immunological way to control enteric infections were investigated. We found that conventional mice were protected against infection with Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli by previous feeding for 2 consecutive days with a daily Lb. casei dose of 1·2 × 109 cfu/mouse. Previous feeding for 7 d proved less effective, and feeding for 5 d afforded no protection at all. We were also able to demonstrate that the protective effect of Lb. casei against Sal. typhimurium and Esch. coli was connected mainly with the high level of IgA antipathogen antibodies present in intestinal secretions. β-Glucuronidase (EC 3.2.1.31) and β-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23) activities, measured both in the intestinal fluid and histological samples, showed a marked increase in intestinal inflammatory response on day 5 of feeding. These results show that Lb. casei plays an important role in the prevention of enteric infections, a low dose being enough for protection against intestinal infections by increasing IgA secretion into the intestinal lumen, thus providing adequate defences for the mucosal surface. A previously administered dose of this magnitude could therefore be used as an oral adjuvant in preventing enteric infections.

In the present study, 124 enterococcal strains, isolated from traditional Italian cow, goat and buffalo cheeses, were characterized using phenotypic features and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD–PCR). The RAPD–PCR profiles obtained with four primers and five different amplification conditions were compared by numerical analysis and allowed an inter- and intraspecific differentiation of the isolates. Whole-cell protein analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) was used as a reference method for species identification. The strains were identified as Enterococcus faecalis (82 strains), E. faecium (27 strains), E. durans (nine strains), E. gallinarum (four strains) and E. hirae (two strains). Species recognition by means of RAPD–PCR was in agreement with the SDS–PAGE results except for eight strains of E. faecium that clustered in separated groups. On the other hand, phenotypic identification based on carbohydrate fermentation profiles, using the rapid ID 32 STREP galleries, gave different results from SDS–PAGE in 12·1% of the cases. The majority of the strains had weak acidifying and proteolytic activities in milk. One E. faecium strain showed vanA (vancomycin resistance) genotype while four strains showed a β-haemolytic reaction on human blood. Several strains showed antagonistic activity towards indicator strains of Listeria innocua, Clostridium tyrobutyricum and Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp. shermanii.

Local and systemic changes in the acute phase proteins, haptoglobin and serum amyloid A (SAA), were studied in six dairy cows during the acute and chronic phases of experimentally induced Staphylococcus aureus mastitis. Haptoglobin and SAA were measured in serum, and in milk from infected and healthy control udder quarters within each cow. Concentrations of haptoglobin and SAA increased rapidly in both serum and milk during the acute phase of mastitis and followed a similar pattern. Significantly raised milk concentrations of SAA were also found during chronic subclinical mastitis. Serum concentrations of SAA also tended to be higher during the chronic phase than pre-infection. Increases in milk haptoglobin and SAA were specific for the infected udder quarters. In conclusion, measurement of SAA in milk samples could be a useful tool in diagnosing mastitis.

Aqueous solutions of reconstituted whey protein- concentrate (WPC) & isolate (WPI) powders were sonicated at 20 kHz in a batch process for 1–60 min. Sonication at 20 kHz increased the clarity of WPC solutions largely due to the reduction in the size of the suspended insoluble aggregates. The gel strength of these solutions when heated at 80°C for 20 min also increased with sonication, while gelation time and gel syneresis were reduced. These improvements in gel strength were observed across a range of initial pH values, suggesting that the mechanism for gel promotion is different from the well known effects of pH. Examining the microstructure of the whey protein gels indicated a compact network of densely packed whey protein aggregates arising from ultrasound treatment. Comparable changes were not observed with whey protein isolate solutions, which may reflect the absence of larger aggregates in the initial solution or differences in composition.

Proteomic analysis of bovine, caprine, buffalo, equine and camel milk highlighted significant interspecies differences. Camel milk was found to be devoid of β-lactoglobulin, whereas β-lactoglobulin was the major whey protein in bovine, buffalo, caprine, and equine milk. Five different isoforms of κ-casein were found in camel milk, analogous to the micro-heterogeneity observed for bovine κ-casein. Several spots observed in 2D-electrophoretograms of milk of all species could tentatively be identified as polypeptides arising from the enzymatic hydrolysis of caseins. The understanding gained from the proteomic comparison of these milks may be of relevance both in terms of identifying sources of hypoallergenic alternatives to bovine milk and detection of adulteration of milk samples and products.