Trends in lactose-derived bioactives: synthesis and purification

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Food Science
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Lactose from cheese whey is an underutilized resource with potential for producing high-value bioactive compounds.
• Functional foods, incorporating ingredients like prebiotics, represent a rapidly growing sector driven by consumer demand for healthy nutrition.
• Enzyme biocatalysis is favored for producing lactose-derived bioactives due to its precision and sustainability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current status and future prospects of producing lactose-derived bioactive compounds.
• To highlight the critical role and challenges of downstream operations in lactose bioconversion.
• To identify areas for technological advancement in catalyst and process development.

Main Methods:

• Enzyme biocatalysis for the production of bioactive compounds from lactose.
• Focus on downstream processing techniques for separation and purification.
• Analysis of market trends and technological challenges in the functional food industry.

Main Results:

• Enzyme biocatalysis enables precise and sustainable production of lactose-derived bioactive compounds.
• Downstream operations are critical bottlenecks due to modest conversion rates and product yields.
• Some lactose-derived bioactives have established markets, but cost-effective production remains a challenge.

Conclusions:

• Further development of efficient catalysts and cost-effective downstream operations is essential.
• Technological advancements are expected to expand the industrial-scale production of diverse lactose-derived bioactive compounds.
• Optimizing these processes will enable the delivery of high-quality functional food ingredients at affordable prices.