Influence of milk proteins on lipid oxidation in aqueous emulsion: I. Casein, whey protein and α-lactalbumin

Abstract

A milk-related model system, 2 mM-trilinolein in 0·1 M-piperazine-N, N′-bis-2-ethanesulphonic acid buffer, pH 6·8, stabilized by lysophosphatidylcholine was used to assess the effect of milk proteins on lipid oxidation in emulsion, catalysed by Cu2+ ions. In some experiments the trilinolein was replaced by sunflower oil (2 g 1-1). Oxidation at 25°C was assessed by measurement of the rate of O2-utilization and by the thiobarbituric acid assay. The features, relevance and reliability of the model are described in terms of the observed effects in the absence and presence of added protein. Casein was antioxidative at concentrations relevant to those in bovine milk, human milk, infant milk formulations and ‘high linoleic acid’ milk. Whole whey protein was a less effective inhibitor of lipid oxidation at similar concentrations. Purified α-lactalbumin was also marginally antioxidative, and its effect was independent of the molar Cu2+: protein ratio between 1:1 and 3:1.