In this review, the loading efficacies of retinoids with milk proteins are investigated. It has been shown that milk proteins β-lactoglobulin, α-, and β-caseins bind retinol and retinoic acid via hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and H-bonding contacts causing minor alterations of protein secondary structure. Hydrophobic contact is predominant in retinoid-protein conjugation and several amino acids are involved in complex formation, stabilized by H-bonding network. Loading efficacy of retinoid was about 30-50% with retinol forming more stable protein conjugates. Milk proteins can transport retinoid to target molecules.
Keywords: FTIR: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; cas: casein; loading efficacy; milk proteins; modeling; ret: retinol; retac: retinoic acid; retinoid; spectroscopy; β-LG: beta-lactoglobulin.