INFORM January 2024

16 • inform January 2024, Vol. 35 (1)

Milk is a complex fluid that provides all the nutrients necessary for growth and development. For centuries, milk has contributed prominently to human nutrition. As consumers strive for balanced, nutritious diets, they are beginning to appreciate the benefit of dairy. Beyond being a comprehen sive source of essential nutrients, milk offers a broad range of bioactive components that maintain human homeostasis and bolster immune function. Concentrated forms of nutrition for next-generation dairy foods Jerina Rugji and Gulustan Ozturk

Our lab’s objective is to produce next-generation dairy foods that integrate these biologically active compounds to promote healthier dietary habits and extract maximum value from dairy resources. With the support of the National Dairy Council, we are specifically investigat ing changes that occur in the whey protein phospholipid concentrate (WPPC) matrix during thermal treatment. This research is instrumental in comprehending the underlying effects of processing and allows us to tai lor the processing methods, thereby enhancing the efficiency of isolating compounds such as whey proteins, milk fat globule membrane proteins, and phospholipids, all of which hold substantial nutritional and economic value. THE COMPOUNDS IN MILK The unique structure and chemical composition of milk fat globules (MFG) sets them apart from less complex oils derived from plants. MFG serve as a unique delivery system that transport bioactive mol ecules to the gastrointestinal system (https://doi.org/10.1016/j. idairyj.2007.10.014). MFG are lipid globules with an average diameter of around 4 μm ( https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idairyj.2004.03.005 ). They consist of a core of triglycerides surrounded by a triple-layer biological membrane known as the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) that originates from the mam mary gland’s epithelial tissue. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2008.07.006 ). The MFGM has a unique composition. It consists of 40% lipids, mainly phospholipids, and 60% proteins, including glycoproteins (https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.idairyj.2006.05.004). In detail, MFGM contain vari ous bioactive proteins, such as butyrophilin, glycosylation-dependent cell adhesion molecule 1, mucin 1 and 15, lactadherin, adipophilin, fatty

• Whey protein phospholipid concentrate is a by-product of whey processing with great potential for industrial application. • Bioactive compounds derived from whey protein phospholipid concentrate have the potential to be used as cutting-edge ingredients. • Understanding heat-induced alterations in whey protein phospholipid concentrate will enable us to tailor the processing methods to increase the yield for the extraction of bioactive compounds.