XU Shu, LIU Dasong, LI Zhibin, ZHANG Wenjin, ZHAO Lei, ZHOU Peng
This study compared the effects of high-temperature short-time (HTST) pasteurization, microfiltration (MF) with 1.4 or 0.8 μm pore diameters, and ultraviolet-C (UV-C) irradiation treatments on microorganisms and bioactive proteins in goat skim milk. Bacteria reduction, which with MF-1.4, MF-0.8 and UV-C treatments, reached the same level as HTST. Moreover, MF-1.4 and MF-0.8 treatments can effectively trap spores and somatic cells, however, HTST and UV-C treatments have no significant effect on them. Bioactive lactoferrin, immunoglobulin A (IgA), IgG, xanthine oxidase, lactoperoxidase and IgM were retained at 86%, 68%, 51%, 49%, 47% and 28% using HTST. And above indicators showed 90%, 88%, 87%, 72%, 97% and 94% using MF-1.4 and 82%, 82%, 80%, 70%, 85% and 88% using MF-0.8. Using UV-C, these indexes were 94%, 91%, 75%, 86%, 93% and 97% respectively. Besides, native serum proteins were retained at 84% using HTST, and completely using MF-1.4, MF-0.8 and UV-C. Carbonyls were increased by 18% and 19% using HTST and UV-C, and sulfhydryls were reduced by 7% using HTST, while both were unaffected using MF-1.4 and MF-0.8.Furthermore, flux for 1.4 μm MF was higher and remained steady after an initial decrease of 41%, while flux for 0.8 μm MF decreased progressively by 85% until end of processing which resulting in complete and 74% passages of casein micelles using 1.4 and 0.8 μm MF, respectively. These results showed that MF-1.4 treatment had a better effect and application potential for microbial removal and bioactive protein retention.