Effect of the lactation stage on concentration of whey proteins in caprine acid whey

This study was conducted to evaluate changes in composition of whey proteins of Czech White Short-haired caprine milk throughout lactation.The results showed that the mean total protein (%), whey protein (g/100 g), and β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg, g/100 g) contents of milk were 2.75, 0.433, and 0.119, respectively. The content of total protein as well as acid whey proteins throughout the lactation period were nearly constant and fluctuated around the mean value. The average ratio of whey to total protein was 15.8 ± 2.61% and ranged from 13.0 to 20.8%. The total content of two major whey proteins (α-La + β-Lg = AG) averaged 87% of total whey protein.The main component of acid whey proteins was α-lactalbumin (α-La), but at the end of the lactation period the content of β-Lg increased steeply, and the β-Lg/α-La ratio reached a maximum value of 1.94.