Progress in milk fat globule membrane research: a review.

The milk fat globule is essentially an oil droplet enclosed in a protective \u2018membrane\u2019, partially derived from the plasma membrane of the lactating cell, and which assures the dispersion of the milk fat in the milk plasma. This protective coat is generally called \u2018the milk fat globule membrane\u2019 (MFGM). This review examines the present state of knowledge on the MFGM. The topics dealt with are: origin and formation, isolation from milk, composition (lipids and proteins), structure (a new model is proposed), functional properties and the role that the MFGM plays in protection against lipolysis