Technion researchers discover a way to use protein particles found in milk as a delivery vehicle for nutrients important for health.  This is the first time that scientists have succeeded in using these particles (casein micelles) for delivering essential nutrients lacking in milk.

Technion researchers have discovered a way to use particles of the milk protein casein, called casein micelles, as a delivery vehicle for adding nutrients that are important to human health (“nutraceuticals”). This is the first time that scientists have succeeded in doing this, and the research will be published soon in the scientific journal “Food Hydrocolloids” (it already appears on the magazine’s website).

“Casein is the main protein in milk,” explains Dr. Yoav D. Livney of the Technion’s Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering. “Casein is arranged in tiny, nano-sized particles called “micelles”. Casein micelle is composed of many molecules. Its comprised of about 31% protein, 2% minerals and 67% water. Its natural purpose is to transfer from mother to baby – calcium, protein and phosphate – essential body building nutrients. This is in fact a natural transfer vehicle for nutrients.”

The idea was to harness these micelles as vehicles for delivering additional important health-promoting “nutraceuticals”. As a first example, the researchers chose vitamin D, which is important for bone development. The challenge facing the researchers, Dr. Yoav Livney and master student Efrat Semo, was how to encapsulate vitamin D within the casein micelle and thus “hitch a ride” with it. The Technion researchers began the process with a casein solution (a soluble caseinate whose calcium was removed in its production and therefore was not organized in micelles anymore) and added to it a vitamin D solution. The vitamin bound to the protein. To this solution of casein enriched with vitamin D they added calcium and phosphate in the natural amounts found in milk. As a result, the proteins reorganized into micelles very similar to micelles found naturally in milk, except that they were already carrying the vitamin D.

“Vitamin D is a sensitive material but we succeeded in demonstrating that micelles provide protection from ultra-violet radiation that causes its deterioration,” adds Dr. Livney.

Also taking part in the research were Dr. Dganit Danino and Dr. Ellina Kesselman of the Technion’s Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, who characterized the structure of the micelles using electron microscopy.

Now, the Technion researchers are looking for a way to mass produce the enriched micelles so that they can be added to various food products, especially low-fat foods, thus enriching them with important vitamins found only in fat. “We hope to enrich non-fat milk and other low-fat food products with vitamin D and additional important nutraceuticals,” says Dr. Livney. “This technology opens a new avenue to enriching basic foods, needed by a broad segment of the population, with essential, health-promoting nutrients.”