Casein protein

Casein, a milk protein is often describe as a slower acting protein. It takes longer time than whey protein to digest and absorb. It is accounting for approximately 80 percent of the total protein.

Casein is actually a composite of four proteins –alpha, beta, kappa and gamma casein. Structurally, caseins are large, amphoteric, random coil.

Caseins contain both hydrophobic and hydrophilic section; in addition, they contain a high proportion of the amino acid proline, and so they are flexible proteins containing little regular, ordered secondary structure.

The large particles of casein are often referred to as phosphorproteins because, in addition to calcium, they contain phosphorus.

Casein causes a more steady release of amino acids over a 3 to 4 hour period of time. Casein is not known to have a large impact on protein synthesis, but rather is known suppress protein breakdown.

The casein protein that predominates in cow’s milk forms a tough rubbery curd in the stomach of an infant and requires a longer tome to break down and digest.

In food processing, casein is used mainly in so-called ‘non-dairy foods’ such as imitation cheese, coffee creamers, and margarine and specialty nutrition products.

Casein protein