Isolation and Molecular Characterization of Local Goat Milk Casein for Nutraceutical Value

Abstract

Bioactive peptide from casein play a very important role in biological functionalities such as antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Casein is the main protein that derived from goat milk which consists of alpha (α), beta (β) and kappa (κ) casein. Dietary protein such as casein from animal can provide rich source of bioactive peptide. However, the macromolecular protein such as cow milk can cause allergic response to certain individuals. On the other hand, goat milk have been known for its hypoallergenic and therapeutic properties in human nutrition and health. The purpose of this study is to extract casein from local breed goat milk and identify the molecular characterization of casein for nutraceutical value. The casein was successfully extracted using extraction method. Extraction is a common technique used to separate a desired substance when it is mixed with other components. The average percentage of casein obtained was 24.25%. Then, the casein was analysed by running it in the SDS-Page. The major fraction is β-casein and the minor is α-casein that can be seen between 20kDa and 30kDa respectively. There is no contaminated protein appear in the purified α-amylase. The result obtained in this study indicates that isolated casein from Malaysian goat milk was pure and can be used as bioactive peptide for nutraceutical value.