Efficient lactulose production from cheese whey using sodium carbonate

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Food Chemistry
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Cheese whey is an abundant dairy byproduct, often underutilized.
• Lactulose is a valuable prebiotic sugar with significant health benefits.
• Efficient and economical lactulose production methods are in demand.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an economical and efficient method for lactulose production from cheese whey.
• To optimize reaction parameters for maximizing lactulose yield.
• To enhance lactulose production beyond initial limitations using a fed-batch system.

Main Methods:

• Lactulose production from cheese whey using sodium carbonate (Na2CO3).
• Optimization of reaction parameters (temperature, time, Na2CO3 concentration) using Response Surface Methodology (RSM).
• Application of a fed-batch system to overcome yield limitations.

Main Results:

• Maximum lactulose yield of 29.6% achieved at 90 °C, 20.41 min, and 0.51% Na2CO3 concentration.
• Identified and addressed the conversion of lactulose to galactose as a limiting factor.
• Fed-batch system successfully increased lactulose production to 15.8 g/L per hour.

Conclusions:

• Sodium carbonate offers an economical route for lactulose production from cheese whey.
• RSM is an effective tool for optimizing lactulose synthesis parameters.
• The fed-batch strategy significantly improves lactulose yield, making the process more viable.