Isolation of lactoferrin and immunoglobulins from dairy whey by an electrodialysis with filtration membrane process

Abstract

Isolation of high value minor proteins such as lactoferrin and immunoglobulins from crude dairy streams is a major challenge for the dairy industry. Here we investigate an electrodialysis with filtration membrane (EDFM) approach to separate lactoferrin (LF) and immunoglobulins (Ig) from other dairy proteins. A polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) membrane is prepared using phase inversion in a coagulation bath with 80% ethanol to serve as the filtration membrane. A range of treatment times and two electric field strengths (38.5 and 77 V/cm) were then investigated within the electrical cell. The results show that the filtration membrane prepared in-house can offer strong rejection for LF and Ig while allo..