UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA

MEDELLN HQ
SCIENCE FACULTY CHEMISTRY SCHOOL
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
2015

New experimental method for determining the concentration of proteins and lactose in milk
and whey

ARTICLE REVIEW
The objective of the research shown in this article was to determine the content of protein and of
lactose in milk and whey with an innovative method that was different to the traditional ones that
are used in almost all studies. The researchers were looking for a method that was easy to
implement and fast.

The method that they found convenient is bases on the coupling of membrane ultrafiltration
operations with electrical conductivity measurements. Membrane ultrafiltration operations are
methods in which forces like pressure or concentration gradients lead to a separation through a
semipermeable membrane. Suspended solids and solutes of high molecular weight are retained in
the so-called retentate, while water and low molecular weight solutes pass through the membrane
in the permeate.

Fig 1. Ultrafiltration process diagram.

Milk is a liquid that is twice more viscous than water. There are large amounts of co-products
generated by the industry form the manufacture of cheese and butter. This studys product of
interest is the whey, lactose, globular proteins, a non-protein nitrogen fraction, fat and minerals.
The most common method for the analysis of protein determination is the Kjeldahl method or
MilkoScan. The determination of lactose is most commonly determined by MilkoScan and Brix
method.

The Kjeldahl method consists of heating a substance with sulphuric acid, which decomposes the
organic substance by oxidation to liberate the reduced nitrogen as ammonium sulphate. In this step
potassium sulphate is added to increase the boiling point of the medium (from 337 C to 373 C).
Chemical decomposition of the sample is complete when the initially very dark-colored medium has
become clear and colorless.

The solution is then distilled with a small quantity of sodium hydroxide, which converts the
ammonium salt to ammonia. The amount of ammonia present, and thus the amount of nitrogen
present in the sample, is determined by back titration. The end of the condenser is dipped into a
solution of boric acid. The ammonia reacts with the acid and the remainder of the acid is then
titrated with a sodium carbonate solution by way of a methyl orange pH indicator

Brix is a technical term to measure and quantify the amount that light is bent passing through a
fluid. The Brix degrees scale is useful to determine the quantity of simple sugars in a sample.

The experiment made in this study is composed basically of three steps. At first we have the
ultrafiltration in which the researchers used a 50 nm ceramic membrane with a maximum pressure
of 10 bars, a maximum temperature of 100C and using a pH between 3 and 11. First whey and milk
was undergone mono filtration to remove suspended particles and residual lipids. Then both were
ultrafiltrated. Then they used the measurement of conductivity to determine minerals. Finally the
masses of the samples were calculated by gravimetric methods and measurements.

After doing the experiment for whey and milk, results were compared to other result obtained with
the Kjeldahl method. The results obtained with the innovative method let the researchers conclude
that the method is efficient and accurate.

It is important to develop and improve methods like the one shown in the articles that are so easy
to implement in a simple laboratory and that gives fast results. Traditional methods as Kjeldahl one
have some drawbacks. For example, on problem we can find in Kjeldahl method is that it requires a
long time of digestion of the sample. It also requires a lot of chemicals and special equipment and
can be a risk of leakage of harmful products such as CO2.

Problems found in traditional method are solved in this simple one that consists of 3 basic
operations; membrane ultrafiltration, followed by electrical conductivity measurements and finally
gravity measurements of the dry extract.

Result in this study were obtained form 100 studied samples of whey and milk and it gives good
results compared to the ones obtained with traditional method, so that we can say that data
obtained with the innovative method is reliable.

This kind of researches in an industry as important as dairy industry are so significant because
methods like the one developed in this study can be implemented to reduce analysis costs and to
enhance their efficiency when determining nutritional facts of the products or making quality
controls.

Author: Hugo Alejandro Mrquez Aristizbal.

ID: 1.017.231.914

REFERENCE
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Belhamidi, Sakina et al. (2014). New experimental method for determining the
concentration of proteins and lactose in milk and whey. India. Journal of Chemical and
Pharmaceutical research, 6(10): 539 544.