Good fat vs bad fat in Milk: A molecular level Understanding of Indian cow milk using confocal Raman microscopy

Krishanu Bandyopadhyay; Abhineet Verma; Satyen Saha

doi:10.1016/j.saa.2025.125705

Good fat vs bad fat in Milk: A molecular level Understanding of Indian cow milk using confocal Raman microscopy

Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2025 Jan 6:330:125705. doi: 10.1016/j.saa.2025.125705. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Krishanu Bandyopadhyay¹, Abhineet Verma², Satyen Saha³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India.
² Department of Chemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India; Department of Chemistry, Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302017, India.
³ Department of Chemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India. Electronic address: satyen.saha@gmail.com.

PMID: 39805238
DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2025.125705

Abstract

Milk, a complex fluid renowned for abundance of vitamins and immune-boosting antibodies, holds a pivotal position in human nutrition. The research delves into the fundamental constituents of milk, focusing on cis-fatty acids (cis-FA), trans-fatty acids (trans-FA), and theα-helixstructure found in proteins. These constituents are instrumental in the determination of milk quality and its nutritional value. Through an analysis of Raman spectra obtained from both raw milk and its individual components, this investigation quantifies the proportional contribution ofcis-FA,trans-FA, andα-helixin diverse milk samples, thereby illuminating the disparities in milk quality. An intriguing finding of the study is the progressive increase in the percentage oftrans-FAwithin milk over time, raising concerns about its implications for milk quality and overall health. However, the research also unveils an intriguing phenomenon - heating milk can reverse the conversion oftrans-FAintocis-FA, indicating the significance of temperature and time in shaping milk's composition. This research, therefore, underscores the efficacy of Raman spectroscopy in delineating the composition of milk and its evolving nature with time and temperature, providing valuable insights pertinent to both the dairy industry and consumers' health.

Keywords: Cis-fatty acid; Good fat vs. bad fat; Raman of milk; Trans-fatty acid.