FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to milk products and, more specifically, to denatured bovine serum albumin (BSA) milk products and methods therefor which provide unique methods of processing milk products within specific time and temperature ranges in order to denature the BSA found in milk products without substantially diminishing either the flavor or the nutritional content of these milk products .

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common metabolic diseases. There are two major types of DM, namely insulin- dependent (IDDM) and non-insulin-dependent (NIDDM) . IDDM is also called juvenile, brittle, autoimmune, or type I diabetes. Although IDDM comprises approximately only 10% of all cases of DM, IDDM affects children more often than NIDDM, and IDDM is typically more difficult to manage. There are about 300,000 people in the United States with IDDM and nearly 30,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Most cases of IDDM result from the destruction of insulin producing pancreatic beta cells by a person's immune system. The primary purpose for producing denatured BSA milk products is to reduce the number of occurrences of IDDM and other autoimmune diseases also possibly triggered by BSA ingestion.

There is a reasonably strong correlation between high per capita milk consumption and the occurrence of IDDM. For example, IDDM is rare in Japan but common in Scandinavia. More than 90% of Japanese adults are lactose intolerant (LI) while fewer than 10% of Scandinavian adults have this genetic trait. The LI trait has a marked effect on human behavior. Specifically, individuals who are LI tend to drink less milk than those who do not have this genetic trait. Thus, per capita milk consumption in Japan is approximately 1/lOth that of Scandinavia, and this fact suggests why IDDM is less than 1/lOth as common among the largely LI Japanese population.

Australian aborigines are another group of people who typically avoid milk due to genetic LI. A study of almost 9,000 aboriginal children failed to identify a single case of IDDM. More than 20 cases would be expected if aboriginal children had the same risk of IDDM as American children.

As previously stated, nearly all cases of IDDM result from the destruction of insulin producing cells by a person's own immune system. Some studies suggest that this destruction is triggered by exposure to 3SA from cows' milk in individuals genetically susceptible to IDDM. In recent research on IDDM in high-milk-use nations, all 521 people studied had anti-BSA antibodies. The 142 people with newly diagnosed IDDM had anti- BSA antibody levels nearly 7 times higher than the 379 people without IDDM. In children with newly diagnosed IDDM, anti-BSA antibodies were found to cross react with a protein found in pancreatic beta-cell membranes. This protein found in pancreatic beta-cell membranes has the same molecular weight as

BSA. In light of the matching molecular weights, it may be that this unknown protein is actually BSA, an ingested protein from cows' milk that has been attached to or incorporated into the cell membrane of human beta-cells because of the similarity between BSA and human serum albumin (HSA) , a protein normally attached to or incorporated into human cells. BSA molecules, may act as foreign proteins on human cells, provoking repeated immunologic attacks from white blood cells. White blood cells function as a sort of "policeman of the body" . They seek cut and attack BSA and other foreign proteins. Consequently, as human white blood cells destroy BSA molecules on pancreatic beta-cell surfaces, beta-cells themselves may be inadvertently killed, and when enough beta-cells are destroyed, clinical IDDM results. There is also evidence that similar autoimmune attacks directed against other human cells may be responsible in part for the development of atherosclerotic vascular disease, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, pernicious anemia, and other human autoimmune diseases.

Albumin is found in the blood of all mammals, and a small amount is present in milk. About 1% of the protein in cows' milk is BSA; cheese has less BSA and whey has more. All forms of albumin and specifically BSA are heat liable. The rate of denaturation of BSA increases exponentially with increasing temperature.

With the above information in mind and upon investigation of current methods of milk processing, significant inadequacies are discovered in current methods. For example, pasteurization is a process in which heat is applied to milk in order to

destroy unwanted microorganisms. During pasteurization-, milk is heated to one of two typical pasteurization temperatures, namely 60 or 72 degrees Celsius. While pasteurization may be accomplished at these temperatures, only partial denaturation of BSA occurs. Consequently, it appears that the occurrence of IDDM and other autoimmune diseases may be much more likely for a person drinking pasteurized, BSA-containing milk, as opposed to the unique, new denatured BSA milk.

Milk can also be ultra-pasteurized (UP) by exposing it to 138 , degrees Celsius for approximately 2 seconds. Ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk is sterilized by heating it to 142 degrees Celsius for approximately 6 seconds . UP milk is supposed to have an extended shelf life under refrigerated conditions while aseptically packaged UHT milk may be properly stored for extended periods of time in a non-refrigerated condition. Although both the UP milk and the UHT milk may typically have denatured BSA, by heating these types of milk at such relatively high temperatures, they lose important nutritional value and diminish their flavor as compared to regular pasteurized milk. In fact, it is common that both UP and UHT milk, as compared to the new denatured BSA milk, have 30% less of vitamin Bl, 10% less of vitamin B2, 35-50% less of vitamin B6, 70-90% less of vitamin B12, and less of important other nutrients. In addition, the high processing temperatures required by both the UP and the UHT methods of milk production use relatively more energy, and the equipment required to produce these products is relatively expensive. Therefore, a need existed to provide a method for producing denatured BSA

milk products that maintain both the maximum nutritional value and the optimum flavor of the milk while minimizing thermal inefficiency and maximizing cost effectiveness in such a process .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, it is an object of this invention to provide methods of producing denatured BSA milk products.

It is another object of this invention to provide denatured BSA milk products.

It is a further object of this invention to provide denatured BSA milk products without diminishing the flavor of these milk products.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide denatured BSA milk products without diminishing the nutritional value of these milk products .

It is a further object of this invention to provide denatured BSA milk products which reduce the likelihood of the development of Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM) in a person who consumes these milk products .

It is yet another object of this invention to provide denatured BSA milk products which may reduce the likelihood of the development of atherosclerotic vascular disease, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, pernicious anemia, and other human autoimmune diseases.

δ BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, a method of producing denatured bovine serum albumin (BSA) milk products is disclosed comprising the steps of providing container means for containing the milk products, and heating the container means for a period of time and within a certain temperature range sufficient for producing the denatured BSA milk products without substantially diminishing the milk products' flavor and nutritional value.

In accordance with another embodiment of this invention, a method of producing denatured bovine serum albumin (BSA) milk products is disclosed comprising the steps of providing container means for containing the milk products, and heating the container means for a period of time of about 90 seconds at an approximate temperature of 94 degrees Celsius for producing the denatured BSA milk products without substantially diminishing the milk products' flavor and nutritional value.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular, description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows typical temperature ranges used in the milk processing industry in addition to the new temperature range used to denature BSA in milk.

FIG. 2 is a plot showing the denaturation of BSA in milk as a function of time for several different temperatures between 84 and 94 degrees Celsius.

FIG. 3 is a table of the concentration of BSA (mg/L) in milk listed as a function of time for specific temperatures; this data was used to create Figure 2.

FIG. 4 is another plot showing the denaturation of BSA in milk as a function of time for several different temperatures between 75 and 100 degrees Celsius.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As one of the main objectives of the method of the preferred embodiment for producing denatured BSA milk products is to denature BSA in order to reduce the likelihood of the occurrence of IDDM and other autoimmune diseases, explanations of BSA and denaturation follow:

BSA is a complex organic molecule containing several thousand atoms composed of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur. BSA is a globular protein comprised of a single chain of 582 amino acids. The currently accepted sequence of the amino acids comprising BSA is provided in the formula below. Note that since this is the best model of BSA currently available, it is possible that the model may change without affecting the results of this new method for denaturing BSA in milk products . In this formula, each of the three letter groups represents an amino acid as identified on the list below the BSA chain:

Chemical Structure of BSA

Asp Thr His Lys Ser Glu lie Ala His Arg Phe Lys Asp Leu Gly Glu 1 5 10 15

Glu His Phe Lys Gly Leu Val Leu He Ala Phe Ser Gin Tyr Leu Gin 20 25 30

Gin Cys Pro Phe Asp Glu His Val Lys Leu Val Asn Glu Leu Thr Glu 35 ^" 40 45

Phe Ala Lys Thr Cys Val Ala Asp Glu Ser His Ala Gly Cys Glu Lys 50 55 60

Ser Leu His Thr Leu Phe Gly Asp Glu Leu Cys Lys Val Ala Ser Leu 65 70 75 80

Arg Glu Thr Tyr Gly Asp Met Ala Asp Cys Cys Glu Lys Glu Gin Pro

85 90 95

Glu Arg Asn Glu Cys Phe Leu Ser His Lys Asp Asp Ser Pro Asp Leu 100 105 110

Pro Lys Leu Lys Pro Asp Pro Asn Thr Leu Cys Asp Glu Phe Lys Ala 115 120 125

Asp Glu Lys Lys Phe Trp Gly Lys Tyr Leu Tyr Glu He Ala Arg Arg 130 135 140

His Pro Tyr Phe Tyr Ala Pro Glu Leu Leu Tyr Ala Asn Lys Tyr Asn 145 150 155 160

Gly Val Phe Gin Glu Cys Cys Gin Ala Glu Asp Lys Gly Ala Cys Leu

165 170 175

Leu Pro Lys He Glu Thr Met Arg Glu Lys Val Leu Thr Ser Ser Ala 180 185 190

Arg Gin Arg Leu Arg Cys Ala Ser He Gin Lys Phe Gly Glu Arg Ala 195 200 205

Leu Lys Ala Trp Ser Val Ala Arg Leu Ser Gin Lys Phe Pro Lys Ala 210 215 220

Glu Phe Val Glu Val Thr Lys Leu Val Thr Asp Leu Thr Lys Val His 225 230 235 240

Lys Glu Cys Cys His Gly Asp Leu Leu Glu Cys Ala Asp Asp Arg Ala

245 250 255

Asp Leu Ala Lys Tyr He Cys Asx Asx Glx Asx Thr He Ser Ser Lys 260 265 270

Leu Lys Glu Cys Lys Asp Pro Cys Leu Leu Glu Lys Ser His Cys He 275 280 285

Ala Glu Val Glu Lys Asp Ala He Pro Glu Asr; Leu Pro Pro Leu Thr 290 295 ^" 300

Ala Asp Phe Ala Glu Asp Lys Asp Val Cys Lys Asn Tyr Gin Glu Ala 305 310 315 320

Lys Asp Ala Phe Leu Gly Ser Phe Leu Tyr Glu Tyr Ser Arg Arg His

325 330 335

Pro Glu Tyr Ala Val Ser Val Leu Leu Arg Leu Ala Lys Glu Tyr Glu ' 340 345 350

Ala Thr Leu Glu Glu Cys Cys Ala Lys Asp Asp Pro His Ala Cys Tyr 355 360 365

Thr Ser Val Phe Asp Lys Leu Lys His Leu Val Asp Glu Pro Gin Asn 370 375 380

Leu He Lys Glx Asx Cys Asx Glx Phe Glu Lys Leu Gly Glu Tyr Gly 385 390 395 400

Phe Gin Asn Ala Leu He Val Arg Tyr Thr Arg Lys Val Pro Gin Val

405 410 415

Ser Thr Pro Thr Leu Val Glu Val Ser Arg Ser Leu Gly Lys Val Gly 420 425 430

Thr Arg Cys Cys Thr Lys Pro Glu Ser Glu Arg Met Pro Cys Thr Glu 435 440 445

Asp Tyr Leu Ser Leu He Leu Asn Arg Leu Cys Val Leu His Gly Lys 450 455 460

Thr Pro Val Ser Glu Lys Val Thr Lys Cys Cys Thr Glu Ser Leu Val 465 470 475 480

Asn Arg Arg Pro Cys Phe Ser Ala Leu Thr Pro Asp Glu Thr Tyr Val

485 490 495

Pro Lys Ala Phe Asp Glu Lys Leu Phe Thr Phe His Ala Asp He Cys 500 505 510

Thr Leu Pro Asp Thr Glu Lys Gin He Lys Lys Gin Thr Ala Leu Val 515 520 525

Glu Leu Leu Lys His Lys Pro Lys Ala Thr Glu Glu Gin Leu Lys Thr 530 535 540

Val Met Glu Asn Phe Val Ala Phe Val Asp Lys Cys Cys Ala Ala Asp 545 550 555 560

Asp Lys Glu Ala Cys Phe Ala Val Glu Gly Pro Lys Leu Val Val Ser

565 570 575

Thr Gin Thr Ala Leu Ala 580

10

Where: Ala= alanine Met= methionine

*Asx= asparagine or Asn= asparagine aspartic acid

Cys= cysteine Pro= proline

Asp= aspartic acid Gln= glutamine

Glu= glutamic acid Arg= arginine

Phe= phenylalanine Ser= serine

Gly= glycine Thr= threonine

His= histidine Val= valine

He= isoleucine Trp= tryptophan

Lys= lysine Tyr= tyrosine

Leu= leucine *Glx= glutamine or glutamic acid

* Depending on the pH of the solution.

DENATURATION:

Most protein molecules retain their biological activity or capacity to function only within a very limited range of temperature and pH. Exposure of protein molecules such as BSA to extremes of pH or temperature causes them to undergo changes known as denaturation in which the most visible effects in globular proteins are an increase in molecular diameter and a decrease in solubility in water. Many proteins undergo denaturation when heated over 50-60 degrees Celsius, and in addition, some denaturation occurs when they are cooled below 10-15 degrees Celsius. In the case of the new denatured BSA milk products, denaturation occurs between about 75-100 degrees Celsius.

Denaturation also causes proteins to lose their characteristic biological activity. For example, when enzymes are denatured, their ability to catalyze a specific chemical reaction is typically lost. Since the covalent type chemical bonds in the peptide backbone of proteins are not broken during denaturation, it appears that denaturation is due to the unfolding ^' of the characteristic folded structure of the

polypeptide chain in the native protein molecule. In the denatured state, the polypeptide chains are randomly and irregularly looped or coiled. Similarly, the 582 amino acids that comprise BSA form a folded globular protein which substantially resembles a football type shape. Upon denaturation of BSA, the typical folded shape changes to an unfolded structure resembling a random and irregularly looped or coiled chain of the 582 amino acids.

Referring to Figure 1, a depiction of the various methods of milk production is shown. The process of pasteurizing milk is usually accomplished in one of two possible sets of time and temperature conditions, namely heating the milk for 30 minutes at 60 degrees Celsius or for 15 seconds at 72 degrees Celsius. At the lower of these two temperatures, the milk is processed as a batch. As an example, a large vat of milk could be heated for 30 minutes at 60 degrees Celsius. Alternatively, in high temperature short time (HTST) pasteurization, milk is passed through a 72 degree Celsius medium for 15 seconds. Less time is required to HTST pasteurize milk since the 72 degree temperature is hotter than the 60 degree batch processing temperature. Note that these time and temperature conditions for pasteurization do not denature all BSA in milk. The extended shelf life processes define an ultra-pasteurized (UP) milk and ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk. The UP process heats milk for 2 seconds at a temperature of 138 degrees Celsius, and the UHT process holds milk at 142 degrees Celsius for 6 seconds. Both processes denature BSA in milk, however, the nutritional value and the natural flavor of the final products are substantially reduced

due to the high processing temperatures . The new denatured BSA milk products of the preferred embodiment disclosed herein are pasteurized, fully flavorful and nutritious. These new BSA milk products are produced within time and temperature ranges of approximately 30 seconds to 60 minutes and about 75-100 degrees Celsius.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3 , a diagram of BSA concentration is plotted verses time for various temperatures within the range of 84-94 degrees Celsius. Note that the data from the table in Figure 3 is the information which comprises the plots in Figure 2. Also, note that BSA concentrations are not plotted below approximately 10-20 (mg/L) as this is the lower limit for the optimum detectability of BSA by radial immunodiffusion, the most accurate method for detecting undenatured BSA in milk currently available. Therefore, in order to arrive at a BSA concentration of zero, an approximation such as a linear approximation could be made based upon the trend of the curves shown in Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 4, a diagram of BSA concentration is plotted verses time for various temperatures within the range of 75-100 degrees Celsius. Again, note that BSA concentrations are not plotted below approximately 10-20 (mg/L) as this is the lower limit for the optimum detectability of undenatured BSA by radial immunodiffusion. Therefore, in order to arrive at a BSA concentration of zero, an approximation such as a linear approximation could be made based upon the trend of the curves shown in Figure 4.

OPERATION

In general, the operation of this novel process requires that a milk product is contained in the proximity of a heat source which maintains a temperature between about 75-100 degrees Celsius for approximately 60 minutes to 30 seconds. Note that lower processing temperatures will require longer periods of time to denature BSA. If, for example, a lower processing temperature was being used, then a longer period of heating would be required. Consequently, the milk product might have to be held in a large container during the heating process. Alternatively, at higher processing temperatures, since less time is required to denature the milk product, a tube or some sort of coiled hose could be used to pass milk through a heated region provided that the milk product is at the required temperature for the required time. An optimum time and temperature condition for the production of denatured BSA milk products is about 90 seconds at approximately 94 degrees Celsius.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, a variety of methods of containing and heating milk products may be used. In addition, denaturing globular proteins such as BSA is a function of not only time and temperature, but also pH, therefore, if desired, other methods of denaturing BSA in milk products could implement modification

of additional factors such as pH. Also, note that other mammals have albumin similar to bovine serum albumin, consequently, this process could be used to denature other sources of albumin such as from goats' milk or the milk of other mammals.