The antithrombotic properties of raw and pasteurised goat milk and cheeses

The effect of fermentation on the antithrombotic properties of polar lipids in raw and pasteurised caprine milk has been assessed through the production of various cheeses using the same starter culture. The total lipids (TL), total neutral lipids (TNL), and total polar lipids (TPL) were extracted. The fatty acid profiles of all milk and cheese polar lipids were analysed by GC-MS. It is clear that the starter milk and the various production techniques influence the polar lipid fatty acid composition. The bioactivity of each lipid extract was assessed against platelet-activating factor (PAF) induced platelet aggregation. All milk and cheese polar lipids exhibited potent antithrombotic activities with IC50 values ranging from 79-226 µg. Although changes in the lipid profile and metagenomic analysis were detected, the use of raw or pasteurised milk did not significantly affect the bioactivity of the caprine milk or cheeses but the fermentation process in general did enhance the antithrombotic responses. Notably the inclusion of the whey in caprine cheese production may have an effect on the antithrombotic properties of soft goats cheese, which had the lowest IC50. Finally, shotgun metagenomics determined the species-level microbial composition and functional potential of each milk and cheese, which demonstrated that Lactococcus lactis and other microbial species play a significant role in determining the antithrombotic properties of caprine chesses and several phospholipid biosynthetic genes have been identified in the most antithrombotic cheeses. This study has demonstrated that fermentation enhances the antithrombotic properties of caprine cheese polar lipids against PAF-induced human platelet aggregation in vitro.