Improved isolation of bioactive components of bovine colostrum using cross-flow microfiltration

Bovine colostrum contains bioactive components such as growth factors, immunoglobulins and antimicrobial factors. As conventional heat treatment methods inactivate these valuable components, cross-flow microfiltration (MF) seems to be a promising option for the processing of bovine colostrum. A series of cross-flow MF experiments with tubular ceramic membranes of various pore sizes and geometries were conducted. MF with pore sizes of 0.8 and 1.4m resulted in a 5.4- and 3.5-log reduction of the microbial content, respectively. Applying 0.14- and 0.2-m membranes lead to a permeate that was almost free from micro-organisms and casein. However, the maximum transmission of whey protein into the permeate was only 33%.