Dados do Trabalho

Título

IMPACT OF SONICATION ON THE TECHNICAL-FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF GOAT CASEIN

Introdução

Goat casein, comprising approximately 2.11% of goat milk protein composition, is extremely important in dairy production, such as cheese and yogurt. Despite a lower casein content compared to bovine milk, goat milk is less allergenic and better suited for those with milk protein allergies. However, these proteins have low solubility in water, limiting their industrial application. In this context, ultrasound (US) technology can be an interesting strategy to enhance the technical-functional properties of these proteins. Thus, this study evaluated the effect of ultrasound on the technical-functional properties of goat casein.

Material e Métodos

For this, goat casein was extracted by isoelectric precipitation and suspended at 1% (w/v) in sodium phosphate buffer solution (0.1M, pH 6.0) to undergo sonication (38 W/L, 20 kHz), varying the time (5 to 10 min) and temperature (25 to 50 °C).

Resultados e Discussão

After processing, the samples underwent analyses for soluble proteins, foam capacity, foam stability, as well as water (WHC) and oil (OHC) holding capacity. Under specific conditions, sonication was able to promote improvements in the technical-functional properties of goat casein. Specifically, when goat casein was processed by US at 25 °C, enhancements of up to 17% in WHC and 140% in foam capacity were observed (US: 25 °C/ 5 min). Additionally, when casein was sonicated at 50 °C, increases in soluble protein concentration (<24%), OHC (<15%), and foam stability (100%) were verified (US: 50 °C/ 5 min).

Conclusão

These results are possibly due to structural modifications in the protein caused by the effects of cavitation during sonication. Thus, it is possible to modulate the technical-functional properties of goat casein depending on the sonication conditions, with this choice being based on the property to be maximized. Therefore, this finding holds promising implications for broadening the utilization of goat casein within the food industry.