Bovine whey proteins - overview on their main biological properties

• Author(s): Madureira, Ana R. ; Pereira, Cláudia I. ; Gomes, Ana Maria P. ; Pintado, Maria Manuela E. ; Malcata, F. Xavier
• Date: 2007
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/2824
• Origin: Veritati - Repositório Institucional da Universidade Católica Portuguesa
• Subject(s): Bioactive protein; Functional food; Health benefits
• Document Type: Article
• Language: English

Description

Whey, a liquid by-product, is widely accepted to contain many valuable constituents. These include especially proteins that posses important nutritional and biological properties – particularly with regard to promotion of health, as well as prevention of diseases and health conditions. Antimicrobial and antiviral actions, immune system stimulation, anticarcinogenic activity and other metabolic features have indeed been associated with such whey proteins, as a-lactalbumin, b-lactoglobulin, lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, and bovine serum albumin. The most important advances reported to date pertaining to biological properties of whey proteins are reviewed in this communication.