Extraction of Cheese Whey Protein from Dairy Effluent by Using Polyethylene Glycol and Sodium Sulphate

摘要

Whey is a byproduct which contains nutritional value added proteins like, α-Lactalbumin, α-Lacto globulin. Although several possibilities for cheese-whey exploitation have been assayed, approximately half of world cheese-whey production is not treated, but is discarded as effluent. It is necessary to develop an effective and environmentally benign aqueous two phase system (ATPS) for the recovery of value added cheese whey proteins. Recently ATPS have drawn more interest among the other separation processes, particularly in the field of biotechnology due to the mild conditions of the process, short processing time, and ease of scale up. In order to design a two stage ATPS process the effect of system parameters such as pH, types and the concentrations of the phase forming components , temperature, etc., on partitioning of proteins were addressed a view to maximizing recovery. In the present study, partitioning of whey proteins from dairy effluent by using polyethylene glycol and sodium sulphate was done. The results showed that PEG-4000 at 50% concentration and salt at 40% concentration under conditions of pH 5.4 and temperature 35ºC will give maximum yield and partition coefficient.