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Advances in processing technologies and the accumulation of scientific data on the functional and biological properties of whey components have contributed to the growing commercial valuation of cheese whey over the last decade. New membrane separation and chromatographic techniques have made it possible to fractionate and enrich various components of whey more efficiently than before. The specific properties of these components can now be examined in greater detail and new applications developed accordingly. The utilisation of cheese whey is evolving into a new industry producing a multitude of purified ingredients for numerous purposes. The most significant areas of R&D related to whey proteins include functional foods, the rheological properties of foodstuffs, and biopharmaceuticals.

The study investigated the effect of a diet containing either a polyol mixture (polyol group) or molasses (molasses group) on the lactoperoxidase (LP) and thiocyanate (SCN- ) content of milk and the udder health of dairy cows during a 12 week trial period. The control group received no extra carbohydrate feed. On the basis of the weekly milk samples from all test animals the polyol group had on an average the highest LP content (17.8 µg/ml), the lowest SCN- content (0.87 mg/l), and the lowest somatic cell count (152 000 cells/ml). The mean values for the molasses group were; LP: 12.6 µg/ml, SCN- ; 1.01 mg/ml and cell count: 626 000 cells/ml. The same values for the control group were 11,7 µg/ml, 0.91 mg/l and 285 000 cells/ml, respectively. The polyol group yielded milk with an average of 51.5 % more lactoperoxidase daily than the molasses group, and 42.5 % more than the control group. These differences were, however, not found to derive from the different carbohydrate diet, because no significant change in the LP level in any group occurred during the test feeding. The LP and SCN- contents varied considerably from one cow to the other. The degrees of correlation between the factors tested varied markedly among the test groups. The overall values for r were as follows: LP: SCN- = —0.049, LP: cell count = 0.222 and SCN-: cell count = 0.080. On the basis of cell content and the occurrence of mastitis cases, the polyol group had the best and the molasses group the worst udder health. The possible effect of the LP/SCN- /H2O2 antimicrobial system on mastitis resistance is evaluated.

The study determined the content of certain antimicrobial proteins in the colostrum of five Ayrshire cows during the first 9 milkings and in milk 14 days from parturition. The following factors were analyzed: total whey protein (WP), total immunoglobulins (Ig), lactoferrin (LF), lactoperoxidase (LP), lysozyme (LZM), and Salmonella typhimurium antibody titer towards somatic (04,12) and flagellar (H1.5, Hi) antigens. The content of all factors varied considerably in the first milking of the various cows, but the difference in content for all but LP and LZM decreased along with the number of milkings. The concentrations of WP, Ig and LF were at their highest in the first milking and dropped markedly in the following milkings. On the other hand, the LP concentration was on average greatest during the 3rd and 4th milkings, and the LZM concentration during the 7th and 8th milkings. The colostral whey from the first milking had the following concentrations on average: WP 69.2 mg/ml, Ig 52.0 mg/ml, LF 1.53 mg/ml, LP 22.8 µg/ml and LZM 0.40µ/ml. In the milk whey the concentrations were as follows: WP 12.2 mg/ml, Ig 0.95 mg/ml, LF 0.09 mg/ml, LP 20.1 µg/ml and LZM 0.37 µg/ml. Agglutinating antibodies to a human pathogenic strain of S. typhimurium were found against both O and H antigens in the colostrum of all cows. One cow, which had been vaccinated with S. typhimurium before parturition, had significantly higher titers than the unvaccinated animals. The latter were found to have antibodies only in the first two or three milkings post partum while the vaccinated cow still had antibodies in the milk 14 days post partum. The results obtained permit the assumption that in addition to antibodies, the nonspecific antibacterial factors (LF, LP and LZM) may contribute to the antimicrobial activity of colostrum and thus enhance the resistance of a newborn calf to microbial infections during the first week of life., Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin eräiden luonnollisten, antimikrobisia ominaisuuksia omaavien proteiinien pitoisuutta viiden Ayrshire-lehmän ternimaidossa 9 ensimmäisellä lypsykerralla ja maidossa 14 vrk:n kuluttua poikimisesta. Seuraavat tekijät analysoitiin: Kokonaisimmunoglobuliinit (Ig), laktoferriini (LF), laktoperoksidaasi (LP), lysotsyymi (LZM) ja Salmonella typhimurium -vasta-ainetiitteri somaattista (O4,12) ja flagellaarista (H1,5, Hi) antigeeniä vastaan. Lisäksi määritettiin heraproteiinien (WP) kokonaismäärä. Kaikkien tekijöiden pitoisuus vaihteli huomattavasti eri lehmien ensimmäisessä lypsyssä, mutta muiden paitsi LP ja LZM, pitoisuuserot pienenivät lypsykertojen myötä. WP-, Ig ja LF-pitoisuus olivat korkeimmillaan ensimmäisessä lypsyssä ja laskivat voimakkaasti seuraavissa lypsyissä. Sitä vastoin LP-pitoisuus oli keskimäärin suurin 3. ja 4, lypsykerralla ja LZM-pitoisuus 7. ja 8. lypsykerralla. Ensimmäisen lypsyn herassa olivat pitoisuudet keskimäärin seuraavat: WP 69,2 mg/ml, Ig 52,0 mg/ml, LF 1,53 mg/ml. LP 22,8 µg/ml ja LZM 0,40 µg/ml. Maidon herassa olivat pitoisuudet vastaavasti: WP 12,2 mg/ml, Ig 0,95 mg/ml, LF 0,09 mg/ml, LP 20,1 µg/ml ja LZM 0,37 µg/ml. Ihmispatogeenista S. typhimurium-kantaa agglutinoivia vasta-aineita esiintyi sekä O- että H-antigeeneja vastaan kaikkien lehmien ternimaidossa. Yhdellä lehmällä, joka oli rokotettu S. typhimuriumilla nahan alle ennen poikimista, olivat tiitterit merkittävästi korkeammat kuin ei-rokotetuilla eläimillä. Jälkimmäisillä havaittiin vasta-aineita vain kolmessa ensimmäisessä lypsyssä, kun taas rokotetulla lehmällä vasta-aineita esiintyi vielä maidossa 14 vrk poikimisen jälkeen. Saaduista tuloksista voidaan olettaa, että vasta-aineiden lisäksi epäspesifisestä vaikuttavilla antibakteerisilla tekijöillä (LF, LP ja LZM) on merkitystä ternimaidon antimikrobiselle aktiivisuudelle ja ne voivat siten myötävaikuttaa vastasyntyneen vasikan vastustuskykyyn mikrobi-infektioita vastaan ensimmäisen elinviikon aikana.