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Description
Milk is not only a valuable product due to protein, calcium, vitamin D, which improves the properties of human bones, hair and nails, but also has antimicrobial properties, which are important for the human digestive system for all ages. It is important to study how these properties change and are maintained through this whole process from milking to human consumption and passing through the entire human digestive system.
The objectives of the research are cow and goat milk, metabolism, stability, antimicrobial properties in digestion.
The goals of the project are:
1. to explore the new methods of antimicrobial compounds’ analysis for milk.
2. to evaluate the location, seasonal and climatic effects on the antimicrobial properties of cow and goat milk, ensuring monitoring within 1 year in both countries.
3. to obtain results on the effect of gastrointestinal enzymes on the hydrolysis of proteins.
The new data will provide more information on how location and climate change affect the cow''s and goat''s milk protein composition and also how the industrial treatment affects their antimicrobial properties. There is insufficient information in the literature on the effect of environment factors on milk antimicrobial properties. Therefore, this research is highly important to gain such results.
Cooperation with the Norwegian University of Life Sciences gives Latvian researchers (including PhD students) the opportunity to adapt/explore the new antimicrobial analysis methods that could be important to continue for future projects and PhD students’ research. Milk antimicrobial research in Latvia is not so common, so it is significant to add a new knowledge in this area, as well as to substantiate the consumption of milk as food product in diet.
Summary of project results
It was interesting and meanwhile important to investigate whether there is a strong correlation between the antimicrobial properties of cow''s and goat''s milk. Considering the season (weather), location and living conditions within one year. Another goal was to determine when and where the antimicrobial properties of milk begin to decline during human digestion. Thus, in the project were used an in vitro gastrointestinal tract simulation system for this task. Moreover, it was interesting to compare these results between two countries - Latvia and Norway. Each country has its own unique environment, weather and special living conditions for mammals.
All project participants had experienced for the first time antimicrobial property determination with a spectrophotometer for milk samples, working with new computer programs, and the sample preparation and cleaning procedures. This improved understanding of the chemical properties of milk and the significance of casein cleansing techniques. Gained results gave an overall vision of how environmental changes affected mammal milk antimicrobial properties, particularly, three component concentrations monthly.
This project provided Latvian scientists with data on the variation of concentrations of three components during the year. For both partners, this project was valuable for gaining experience and skills in the determination of various milk components. Also in the end we agreed to continue working together on this topic in the new project.
Summary of bilateral results
The project results summary was done mostly by Latvian participants, especially Latvian student. Mutual cooperation between project partners most likely will be continued by preparing other common research projects.