Ribonuclease activity and isoenzymes in raw and processed cows' milk and infant formulas

Because of evidence of an immunologic role for ribonuclease II (E.C. 3.1.27.5) in mammals, its presence in milk was further characterized to provide a basis for study of possible contributions of its activity to the health of infants. Isoenzymes of ribonuclease II were quantitatively resolved from milk samples as small as 1 ml or less by chromatography on phosphocellulose. Three isoenzymes detected in bovine milk were the previously reported ribonucleases A and B and a form termed ribonuclease II-1. These isoenzymes were in the ratio of 70:30:1. Form II-1 was unique in its inability to hydrolyze polycytidylate. Bovine colostrum contained 10 to 15 times more ribonuclease II-1 than does milk and three times more total ribonuclease II per unit volume. Human milk contains about 1% the concentration of ribonuclease II found in cows' milk. Ribonuclease II activity in milk was quite stable in the acidic conditions of whey production and during low heat treatments. However, most of its enzymatic activity was lost with high heat treatments. No commercially manufactured milk-based or soybean-based infant formula assayed contained nearly as much ribonuclease activity as either human or bovine milk.