Optimization of centrifugal separation of α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin

Authors

• Tuomo Tupasela Agricultural Research Centre of Finland, Food Research Institute, FIN-31600 Jokioinen, Finland
• Petri Koskela Department of Food Technology, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
• Eero Pahkala Agricultural Research Centre of Finland, Food Research Institute, FIN-31600 Jokioinen, Finland
• Veikko Kankare Agricultural Research Centre of Finland, Food Research Institute, FIN-31600 Jokioinen, Finland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.72782

Abstract

Whey proteins, which are mainly composed of β-lactoglobulin (β-lg) and α-lactalbumin (α-la), account for about 20% of the proteins of bovine milk. In this study we investigated the effect of pH, dry matter content, concentration factor, heat treatment and centrifugation on the separation of α-la from β-lg using clarified whey as raw material, α-La precipitation was highest, 23.3%, when the dry matter content ranged from 5.8% to 25.7%. The optimum pH of α-la precipitation depended on the dry matter content. The separation efficiency increased when the concentration factor and heat treatment time at 55°C increased. A longer centrifugation time and higher separation speed did not have a marked effect on the separation efficiency. Separation was more efficient with a higher centrifugation speed at concentration levels 30 X and 60 X. The separation efficiency did not improve when the temperature was raised from 55°C to 65°C but it was better at a concentration level 120 X than at 60 X and 30 X, and also at concentration level 60 X than with 30 X.