Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 June 2009
Undenatured whey protein (UWP) content of skim milk acidified with lactic acid or cultured with lactic cultures was estimated by a dye-binding method. The UWP content decreased with increase in acidity and the denaturation was only partly reversible on neutralization to the original acidity. The decrease in UWP was higher in cultured milk than in the milk acidified to the same extent with lactic acid, indicating the effect of lactic cultures in denaturation of whey proteins during fermentation of milk. Among the lactic cultures the denaturation effect of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus was highest, followed by Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and Lact. lactis biovar diacetylactis. Denaturation of whey proteins by lactic cultures was found to be partly irreversible.