Two major bovine milk whey proteins induce distinct responses in IEC-6 intestinal cells.

α-Lactalbumin (α-LA) and β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) are major whey proteins in bovine milk. We studied the effects of these molecules on the intestinal cell response by comparing the native form with the denatured form containing oligomers obtained by treatment with 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE). We previously reported that proteins in native and TFE-treated forms exhibited cell growth stimulation and cytotoxicity, respectively, in undifferentiated rat crypt IEC-6 and human colon Caco-2 cells.

The effects of denatured major bovine whey proteins on the digestive tract, assessed by Caco-2 cell differentiation and on viability of suckling mice.

Alpha-lactalbumin (α-LA) and β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) are contained in bovine milk whey. Chemical and physical treatments are known to alter the conformation of these proteins and we have previously reported that α-LA denatured with trifluoroethanol (TFE) and isolated from sterilized market milk inhibited the growth of rat crypt IEC-6 cells. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of TFE-treated α-LA and β-LG on cell growth using cultured intestinal cells and on their safety using a suckling mouse model.