Prospecting for bioactives

Armed with their high-tech prospecting tools, Australian scientists are beginning to discover just how healthy dairy products really are.  Researchers from Australia’s Preventative Health Flagship are looking beyond healthy bones and teeth in the search for components of dairy foods that one day may be used to fight some of Australia’s most common and fatal diseases.  

“Dairy foods are laden with proteins that are essential for the health, development and function of the human body,” says project leader, Dr Louise Bennett.

“In addition to calcifying bones and teeth, dairy proteins have anti-infection and anti-inflammatory properties for maintaining health status.  Some proteins are digested into peptides that may lower blood pressure and others can protect against the development of cancer, among a host of other beneficial properties.

“We are focusing on identifying and investigating new bioactives that could potentially inhibit and retard diseases such as cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer and inflammatory diseases.”

The natural health benefits of dairy proteins provide the food industry with opportunities for adding value to their products.  Some dairy manufacturers already actively separate bioactive proteins (e.g. whey protein isolate) from dairy streams.  These valuable proteins are sold to manufacturers of supplements and protective foods who make premium-priced products for the pharmaceutical and functional foods markets.

The researchers are using Preventative Health Flagship-developed separation technologies and screening assays to identify bioactive dairy proteins. 

Project team member Paul Rogers, at work in his laboratory at CSIRO Human Nutrition, Adelaide

“Dairy streams are subjected to enzyme hydrolysis and fractionation before concentration and drying.  Peptide fractions are then screened for bioactivity using high throughput primary assays.  If activity is detected, a secondary screening assay is performed in a cellular or animal model before ultimately testing in humans.”

In a recently completed study, a blend of peptides with anti-hypertensive properties, identified in primary screening assays, was produced at Food Science Australia. The lead product was tested on rats prone to the development of hypertension, in a controlled feeding trial at the facilities of CSIRO Human Nutrition. The results have shown that the new product was more effective in retarding hypertension than a control dairy product that had not been subjected to enrichment by the CSIRO-developed process. 

This Preventative Health Flagship research is conducted by scientists from Food Science Australia and CSIRO Human Nutrition.  The Flagship is a partnership of leading Australian scientists, research institutions, commercial companies and selected international partners who aim to improve the health and well-being of Australians through the prevention and early detection of chronic diseases. 

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The Preventative Health Flagship is a CSIRO initiative and part of the National Research Flagships program that aims to deliver scientific solutions to advance Australia's most important national objectives. One of the largest scientific initiatives ever mounted in Australia, it aligns closely with the Federal Government's National Research Priorities. The initiative brings together our national research resources to deliver breakthroughs in fields ranging from healthcare to light metals and the environment.

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