Process for preparing bioactive protein-enriched whey products

Abstract

The present invention involves the discovery that various liquid (whey) streams drained or expelled from cheese curd after salt addition in the preparation of cheese contain enriched levels of bioactive proteins such as lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, immunoglobulins, and growth factors. According to the invention, these proteins may be further enriched through manipulation of the cheese salting process as described herein. The methods of the invention may be used to produce various whey products with enriched levels of all the above bioactive proteins present and, through manipulation of salting conditions, to enrich these proteins selectively.

1 . A method for preparing a salt whey protein product comprising: 
 removing fat from salt whey to provide clarified salt whey; and    removing salt from the clarified salt whey to provide the salt whey protein product, wherein the salt whey protein product comprises a bioactive protein.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the bioactive protein comprises lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, albumin, a growth factor or an immunoglobulin.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the protein product is enriched for lactoferrin.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the protein product is enriched for lactoperoxidase.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the growth factor is insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) or transforming growth factor β2 (TGF-β2).  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the protein product is enriched for insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the protein product is enriched for transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1).  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the protein product is enriched for transforming growth factor β2 (TGF-β2).  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the protein product is enriched for immunoglobin G (IgG).  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising drying the salt whey protein product.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the protein product is dried by spray drying or freeze drying.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising concentrating the salt whey protein product.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the product is concentrated by ultrafiltration (UF), diafiltration, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         14 . The salt whey protein product prepared by the method of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         15 . A method for preparing a salt whey protein product comprising: 
 a. recovering a curd product from a solution comprising coagulated milk;    b. contacting the curd product with salt to provide salted curd and at least one liquid stream comprising salt whey, wherein the salt comprises up to 10% w/w of curd weight;    c. recovering at least one liquid stream comprising salt whey;    d. concentrating the salt whey to provide the salt whey protein product, wherein the product is enriched for a target bioactive protein.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the target bioactive protein is concentrated from the curd product following contact with the salt, wherein the salt is present at up to 2% w/w of curd weight.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising contacting the salted curd with additional salt, and recovering a second liquid stream comprising salt whey.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising modifying the pH of the coagulated milk solution.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising removing fat from the recovered liquid stream comprising salt whey.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the target bioactive protein comprises lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, albumin, a growth factor or an immunoglobulin.  
     
     
         21 . The salt whey protein product produced by the method of  claim 15 .  
     
     
         22 . A human nutritional product comprising: 
 a salt whey protein product manufactured according to the method of  claim 1  or  claim 15;  wherein the nutritional product is selected from the group consisting of infant formula, adult nutritional products, medical nutritional formula, nutritional supplement products, and nutritional foods.    
     
     
         23 . A personal care product comprising: 
 a salt whey protein product manufactured according to the method of  claim 1  or  claim 15 , wherein the care product is used for wound healing, cosmetics, dental health, and other topical applications.    
     
     
         24 . A health care product comprising: 
 a salt whey protein product manufactured according to the method of  claim 1  or  claim 15 , wherein the care product is used in applications such as reduction of risk factors for cancer, cardiovascular diseases, ulcer, and reduction of side effects during treatment of cancer or chemotherapy.    
     
     
         25 . An animal nutritional product comprising: 
 a salt whey protein product manufactured according to the method of  claim 1  or  claim 15 , wherein the nutritional product is used to improve feed utilization, increase carcass yield, and reduce the use of antibiotics.    
     
     
         26 . A biological product comprising: 
 a salt whey protein product manufactured according to the method of  claim 1  or  claim 15 , or a modified version of it; wherein the biological product is used in biotechnology industry for fermentation or cell culture media.