Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T20:26:55.316Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Ethanol stability of casein micelles – a hypothesis concerning the role of calcium phosphate

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2009

David S. Horne
Affiliation:
Hannah Research Institute, Ayr, KA6 5HL, UK

Summary

The ethanol (EtOH) stability of skim milk and the stability towards aggregation of casein micelles diluted into ethanolic buffer solutions were compared using data obtained from previously published experiments. Differences in absolute stability and in relative response were observed when Ca2+ level and pH were adjusted, the buffer system results lying below those from skim milk in both cases. Increasing the ionic strength of skim milk adjusted to pH 7·0 lowered its EtOH stability whereas increasing the ionic strength of the diluting buffer increased the stability of the casein micelles. The hypothesis is put forward that the differences are due to the simultaneous precipitation of Ca phosphate when EtOH is added to skim milk. This draws calcium from the caseinate sites of the micelle, counteracting the destabilizing effects of the EtOH towards the micelle. Such removal and the consequent restructuring are kinetically controlled and micellar precipitation in skim milk finally occurs when the micellar coagulation time falls within the time scale of the restructuring reactions.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Davies, D. T. & White, J. C. D. 1958 The relation between the chemical composition of milk and the stability of the caseinate complex. II. Coagulation by ethanol. Journal of Dairy Research 25 256266CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Donnelly, W. J. & Horne, D. S. 1986 Relationship between ethanol stability of bovine milk and natural variations in milk composition. Journal of Dairy Research 53 2333CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holt, C. 1975 The stability of bovine casein micelles. In Proceedings of an International Conference on Colloid and Surface Science, Budapest 1 641644 (Ed. Wolfram, E.). Budapest:Akademiai KiádoGoogle Scholar
Holt, C., Dalgleish, D. G. & Jenness, R. 1981 Calculation of the ion equilibria in milk diffusate and comparison with experiment. Analytical Biochemistry 113 154163CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Horne, D. S. 1984 Steric effects in the coagulation of casein micelles by ethanol. Biopolymers 23 989993CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Horne, D. S. 1985 The ethanol stability of milk. Hannah Research 1984 89100. Ayr: Hannah Research Institute.Google Scholar
Horne, D. S. 1986 Steric stabilization and casein micelle stability. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 111 250260CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Horne, D. S. & Davidson, C. M. 1986 The effect of environmental conditions on the steric stabilization of casein micelles. Colloid and Polymer Science 264 727734CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Horne, D. S. & Parker, T. G. 1980 The pH sensitivity of the ethanol stability of individual cow milks. Netherlands Milk and Dairy Journal 34 126130Google Scholar
Horne, D. S. & Parker, T. G. 1981 a Factors affecting the ethanol stability of bovine milk. I. Effect of serum phase components. Journal of Dairy Research 48 273284CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Horne, D. S. & Parker, T. G. 1981 b Factors affecting the ethanol stability of bovine casein micelles: 3. Substitution of ethanol by other organic solvents. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 3 399402CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Horne, D. S. & Parker, T. G. 1981 C Factors affecting the ethanol stability of bovine milk. IV. Effect of forewarming. Journal of Dairy Research 48 405415CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lyster, R. L. J., Mann, S., Parker, S. B. & Williams, R. J. P. 1984 Nature of micellar calcium phosphate in cows' milk as studied by high-resolution electron microscopy. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 801 315317CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Payens, T. A. J. 1979 Casein micelles: the colloid-chemical approach. Journal of Dairy Research 46 291306CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pierre, A. 1985 [Milk coagulation by alcohol. Studies on the solubility of the milk calcium and phosphate in alcoholic solutions.] Lait 65 201212CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walstra, P. 1979 The voluminosity of bovine casein micelles and some of its implications. Journal of Dairy Research 46 317323CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed