Isolation of casein from milk

INDEX
 Milk
 Components of milk
 Casein
 Components of casein
 Uses of casein
 isolating casein
 health effects of casein
Milk- a superfood
Milk is a liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals, including
humans. Breast milk is the best food for babies because it is more tolerable
as the digestive tract develops and matures. Dairy Milk can be introduced
later if it is well tolerated. Components of milk

Different types of milk contain different components, the

most common being cow’s milk.
 Lactose- the sugar present in milk, about 5%

 Fats-Total
Total 4% of fats are present, they consist of 2% saturated,30%
monosaturated,4% polyunsaturated and 4% other types of fatty acids.
  Protien- The total protein percentage of milk is about 3.5, of which
94 to 95 percent is in the form of true protein. Casein accounts for
approximately 80 percent of the true protein, and milk serum or whey
proteins account for about 20 percent.

 Vitamins and minerals- Milk and dairy products provided 9.1% of

the total energy supply. A high share (above 20%) in the supply of
nutrients was noted in the case of calcium (54.7%), riboflavin
(28.1%), vitamin B12 (26.1%), and phosphorus (24.6%)

 Enzymes- Some of the native enzymes in milk are alkaline

phosphatase, lactoperoxidase, lysozyme, lipase, proteinase,
cathepsin D etc

Casein

Casein protein is a protein found in milk that gives milk a white color. Milk is
made up of about 80% casein protein. In addition to milk, casein protein is
found in yogurt, cheese, infant formula, and various dietary supplements.

Casein has a wide variety of uses, from being a major component of

cheese, to use as a food additive The most common form of casein
is sodium caseinate. In milk, casein undergoes separation phase to form
colloidal casein micelles, a type of secreted biomolecular condensate

As a food source casein supplies amino acids, carbohydrates, and two

essential elements, calcium and phosphorus
Components of casein
Casein contains a high number of proline amino acids which hinder the
formation of common secondary structural motifs of proteins.

There are also no disulphide bridges. As a result, it has relatively little

tertiary structure

It is relatively hydrophobic, making it poorly soluble in water.

the most recent model proposes a double link among the caseins for
gelling to take place. All three models consider micelles as colloidal
particles formed by casein aggregates wrapped up in soluble κ-casein
molecules.

While it is also insoluble in neutral salt solutions, it is readily dispersible in

dilute alkalis and in salt solutions such as aqueous sodium oxalate and
sodium acetate.
Uses of casein
 Paint- Casein paint is a fast-drying, water-soluble medium used by
scenic painters, although acrylic has made inroads in that field as
well.

 Glue- Casein-based glues, formulated from casein, water, hydrated

lime and sodium hydroxide were popular for woodworking, Casein
glue is also used in transformer manufacturing due to its oil
permeability.
 Food- Several foods, creamers, and toppings all contain a variety of
caseinates. Sodium caseinate acts as a greater food additive for
stabilizing processed foods, however companies could opt to use
calcium caseinate to increase calcium content and decrease sodium
levels in their products.
 Caseinate presence and function in different products

 Cheesemaking- It is produced by coagulation that is caused by

destabilization of the casein micelle, which begins the processes of
fractionation and selective concentration.

 Protein supplements- A property of the casein molecule is its ability

to form a gel or clot in the stomach, which makes it very efficient in
nutrient supply. The clot is able to provide a sustained slow release of
amino acids into the blood stream, sometimes lasting for several
hours.
  Plastics and fibers- Some of the earliest plastics were based on
casein. In particular, galalith was well known for use in buttons. Fiber
can be made from extruded casein. Lanital, a fabric made from
casein fiber was particularly popular in Italy during the 1930s.

 Medical and dental uses- Casein-derived compounds are used in

tooth remineralization Casein and gluten exculsion diets are
sometimes used in alternative medicine for children with autism.

Isolation of casein from milk

Materials required- 500ml beaker, 100ml of milk, 10% acetic acid, filter
paper, solution of diethyl ether+ethanol.

Procedure-
 Take 100ml of warm milk (50-60 degrees)
 Slowly add 10% acetic acid in the milk while stirring.

 Pass the formed precipitate through a filter paper

 Take the isolated casein and transfer it to the mixture of diethyl
ethanol and mix it properly.

 Now filter the solution and put the isolated casein to dry out.
Health effects of casein
A1 and A2 beta-casein are genetic variants of the beta-casein milk protein
that differ by one amino acid. The A1 beta-casein type is the most common
type found in cow's milk in Europe. An independent review published in
2005 found no discernible difference between drinking A1 or A2 milk on the
risk of contracting chronic diseases.

Casein allergy-
A small fraction of the population is allergic to casein, also known as
"casein intolerance" is experienced when the body cannot break down the
proteins of casein.

The prevalence of casein allergy or intolerance ranges from 0.25 to 4.9% of

young children.

This can be used by clinicians and dietitians to spot autism in those who
may not present with traditional austistic traits.

Casein that is heat-treated has been shown to be more allergenic and

harder to digest when fed to infants.

Human breast milk has been proven to be the best food for an infant, and
should be tried first where available.
Supplementation of protease enzyme has been shown to help casein
intolerant individuals digest the protein with minimal adverse reaction.

In some cases, casein allergies may even cause an anaphylactic shock,

which results in swelling of the area around the wind pipe resulting in
difficulty in breathing or even complete blockage of the wind pipe, if not
treated instantly it may result in the death of the individual.

An anaphylactic shock can be treated by an injection of epinephrine in

either through a ‘Epi-pen’ or by a syringe in professional supervision.

If an epinephrine isn’t available it can be treated by poking the individual’s

affected part of the throat preferably by a professional, as this will provide
ample time to get to an clinic.