SELECTIVE REMOVAL OF BETA-LACTOGLOBULIN DIRECTLY FROM COWS MILK AND PREPARATION OF HYPOALLERGENIC FORMULAS - A BIOAFFINITY METHOD

Beta-lactoglobulin, a major allergen of cows milk, can pass into the b reast milk of mothers consuming dairy products and thus sensitize a pr edisposed infant with a family history of atopic allergy. Beta-lactogl obulin coupled to Sepharose 4B can be used as a specific affinity matr ix to remove beta-lactoglobulin from milk without the use of buffer sy stems. The tendency of beta-lactoglobulin to polymerize reversibly in milk promotes binding of the soluble protein to the coupled protein an d a significant retardation in its elution with respect to the other m ilk proteins. The matrix can be regenerated with water and used repeat edly. These unique characteristics can be exploited in bioreactors des igned to treat milk for the preparation of new hypoallergenic hyposens itizing milk formulas to be used by lactating mothers.