Butter serums and buttermilks as sources of bioactive lipids from the milk fat globule membrane: Differences in their lipid composition and potentialities of cow diet to increase n -3 PUFA
Résumé
Improving the nutritional and health properties of food products, e.g. infant milk formula, by the addition of
functional ingredients is of primary importance. This study focused on bioactive milk polar lipids (PLs) recovered
from dietary sources that are of increasing interest. The chemical compositions of buttermilks and butter
serums were determined and the modulation of the fatty acid composition of milk PLs was investigated. Butter
serums contain a higher amount of milk PLs than buttermilks (88 vs. 13–18 g/kg dry matter), with a higher
proportion of sphingomyelin (34 vs. 19% of PLs, respectively) interestingly close to human milk PL profile.
Butter serums are also interesting sources of choline, an important nutrient for infant brain development. We
demonstrated that the unsaturated fatty acid content of milk PLs recovered in the buttermilks and the butter
serums, mainly the amount of C18:3n-3 and C22:6n-3 (DHA) that are of nutritional interest, can be increased by
dietary strategies. This work opens perspectives for a better valorization of milk PLs in human nutrition (both
infants and adults) to benefit their functional, nutritional and health properties.