Application of Factorial Design for Optimization of the Synthesis of Lactulose Obtained from Whey Permeate

There is a great interest in developing suitable alternatives for the utilization of whey, a by-product from cheese production that contains high concentration of lactose. These alternatives allow the transformation of whey into several products, reducing its environmental impact and providing gains to the dairy industry through the development of new products. The goal of this study was to optimize the synthesis of lactulose from the permeate of bovine whey. The response surface methodology (RSM) was used to investigate the effect of two parameters, time of reaction (90, 135 and 180 min) and isomerization type (sodium sulfite, boric acid and b-galactosidase enzyme), aiming to obtain the highest reaction yield. According to the response surface and desirability function, the best experimental conditions for lactulose synthesis (where it was obtained 50.06 g of lactulose per 100 g of whey powder) consisted of a reaction time of 180 min with the use of enzymatic isomerization.

当前学界与产业界对开发适宜的乳清利用替代方案具有高度研究与应用兴趣。乳清是干酪生产过程中产生的副产物，其乳糖浓度较高。此类替代方案可将乳清转化为多种终端产品，既降低其环境负荷，又能通过新产品开发为乳品行业创造经济效益。本研究旨在优化以牛乳清渗透液为原料的乳果糖（lactulose）合成工艺。本研究采用响应面法（RSM）考察两个反应参数的影响：反应时长（90、135、180分钟）与异构方式（亚硫酸钠、硼酸、β-半乳糖苷酶），以实现最高的反应产率。基于响应面分析与期望函数的优化结果，乳果糖合成的最优实验条件为：采用酶法异构，反应时长180分钟，此时每100克乳清粉可得到50.06克乳果糖。