MILCHWISSENSCHAFT-MILK SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL

The sialic acid content of the caseinoglycopeptide released from casein during proteolysis was measured in cold stored raw milks, reconstituted milks that were inoculated with a proteolyic strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens at different levels (10(3), 10(4), 10(5) and 10(7) cfu/mL), thermised milks and sterilized milks. The amount of soluble sialic acid increased with the growth of psychrotrophic bacteria in all milk samples during cold storage. While the highest increasing was observed (226.04%) in the reconstituted milk samples inoculated with highly proteolytic strains (107 cfu/mL) the lowest increasing occurred in sterilized milks (35.46%) at the end of storage. It can be claimed that the increases in soluble sialic acid content during cold storage of milk can be used as an indicator of proteolytic action by psychrotrophic bacteria. During the storage the coagulation times of all samples decreased. The shortest coagulation time was seen in control sample (2.3 min) while the highest was found in sterilized milk (7.05 min). Depending on storage time and type of milk, the acidities of the samples changed importantly during storage (p