Abstract
Whey, a byproduct of cheese production, is often considered a waste stream. Separation and purification of whey proteins is a difficult and expensive task. Occasionally, it is transported out of the dairy plant for a per volume charge. One possible method to reduce the waste volume and disposal cost is to concentrate whey by foam fractionation and potentially produce a valuable coproduct, a concentrated whey protein solution. Foam fractionation is an adsorptive bubble separation method based on the hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties of proteins. In this study, foam fractionation was evaluated for the concentration of whey proteins, specifically α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin, from a dilute whey protein solution. The effects of initial whey protein concentration (0.075 and 0.15 mg/ml), pH (3.8-5.5), superficial gas velocity (0.85 and 0.95 cm/s) and temperature (4 and 65°C) on protein enrichment and recovery were examined. Higher enrichment was achieved with the lower initial protein concentration (0.075 mg/ml), and at pH values that were near the isoelectric points (pI) of α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin (pH 3.8, 4.2, 4.5, and 5.2). Higher superficial gas velocity enhanced the amount of proteins recovered with a decrease in the enrichment. Cold temperature treatment and partial heat denaturation of whey proteins reduced enrichment and increased protein recovery simultaneously.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 191-203 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering |
Volume | 4 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 2009 |
Keywords
- Foam fractionation
- Protein recovery
- Whey proteins
- α-lactalbumin
- β-lactoglobulin
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Chemical Engineering
- Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
- Waste Management and Disposal