INFORM January 2024

inform January 2024, Vol. 35 (1) • 19

Phospholipid Distribution

Total Phospholipids

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

25 20 15 10

%

%

5 0

Human milk

Bovine milk

WPPC

Human milk

PS PS SM Bovine milk WPPC

PE PI

FIG. 4. Phospholipid composition comparison. Source: Ozturk, G., et al. , Dairy , 3 (2), 2022, Fong, B., et al. , J. Agric. Food Chem. , 61, 4, 2013, and Gallier, S., et al. , J. Agric. Food Chem. , 58, 19, 2010.

infant formula. While human milk represents the gold stan dard in infant nutrition, supplying the optimal micro and macro nutrients necessary for growth and development, a significant proportion of infants globally lack access to this vital source of nourishment during their early stages of life. Human and bovine MFGM have similar phospholipid compositions and they are similar to the lipid composition of the human brain ( https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022029921000224 ). Currently, WPPC is primarily used for animal feed, with only a limited fraction allocated for human consumption. Therefore, it is crucial to harness these streams through isola tion and characterize the bioactive compounds they harbor. VALORIZATION OF WPPC: ISOLATION OF TARGETED FRACTIONS Despite its fascinating composition, the economic and nutri tional value of WPPC has yet to be thoroughly explored. WPPC has been recognized as an excellent source of mem brane-related phospholipids, which have the potential for var ious nutrition-based applications. Currently, there are several commercially available MFGM products, including Lacprodan MFGM-10 (a whey-derived ingredient), Lac-prodan PL-20 (a cream-derived ingredient), bovine serum concentrate (a cream-derived ingredient), bovine serum product (a cream-de rived ingredient), phospholipid concentrate (a cream-derived ingredient), and sweet buttermilk powder. In this context, WPPC, with its high MFGM content, holds significant prom ise as a resource for the separation, isolation, and subsequent application in similar products. Despite applying various fractionation methods to isolate phospholipids from WPPC, researchers have only achieved a modest yield of the specific fraction. While proteins are rela

tively abundant in MFGM, there is currently a lack of isolation methods tailored to them. WPPC undergoes extensive pro cessing, including several thermal treatments. During these thermal treatments, high-density complexes form between caseins and whey proteins that attach to the MFGM. Whey proteins (such as α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, and bovine serum albumin) possess many secondary and tertiary struc tures, making them more sensitive to thermal treatment. Consequently, thermal treatment triggers a chain of reac tions, particularly in the binding of β-lactoglobulin to MFGM, as whey proteins undergo configuration changes in response to heating (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2006.08.003). This leads to aggregate formation and presents a challenge in the isolation process, ultimately resulting in a decreased yield of the desired fraction. By leveraging scientific expertise and anticipating what the food industry needs, a promising opportunity emerges to maximize WPPC. This approach could further facilitate the exploration of the health-enhancing and functional properties of WPPC, leading to innovative, beneficial strategies to support a healthier lifestyle. WPPC continues to be a subject of intense interest, hold ing significant potential to carve out a prominent market share. It contains a wealth of valuable bioactive compounds, and the Ozturk Lab is dedicated to optimizing the processing tech niques to achieve higher purity in the targeted fractions. Jerina Rugji is a postdoctoral research associate in the Ozturk Lab at University of Wisconsin Madison, Department of Food Science. She can be contacted at rugji@wisc.edu. Gulustan Ozturk is an assistant professor in the Department of Food Science at University of Wisconsin Madison. She can be con tacted at gozturk@wisc.edu.