Bovine Milk Proteins

Abstract

This review provides an overview of milk protein from a nutritional function perspective. Milk is known as a calcium-rich food, but it is also a food that contains good-quality protein. Milk proteins are broadly classified into caseins and whey proteins. Caseins forms a unique structure called casein micelle in milk and plays an important role in transporting calcium phosphate, which is essential for bone growth in infants. On the other hand, whey proteins contains many types of proteins. The major components are β-lactoglobulin, α-lactalbumin, bovine serum albumin, lactoferrin, and lactoperoxidase and many of them also have some role in the growth of infants. In addition, proteins that are not major components but have unique functions have been discovered, such as milk basic protein (MBP). Furthermore, milk proteins have interesting characteristics in digestion and absorption. Whey proteins have a firm structure and are rapidly passed through the stomach to be broken down and absorbed in the intestinal tract. Casein, on the other hand, coagulates in the stomach and is slowly broken down and absorbed. Due to these differences in digestion and absorption, protein synthesis initiates quickly and keep for a long time when milk is consumed.

graphical abstract