Malos Iuliu Gabriel, Ghizdareanu Andra-Ionela, Vidu Livia, Matei Catalin Bogdan, Pasarin Diana
Faculty of Animal Productions Engineering and Management, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, 59 Marasti Blvd., District 1, 011464 Bucharest, Romania.
National Research and Development Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry-ICECHIM, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania.
Foods. 2025 Apr 24;14(9):1488. doi: 10.3390/foods14091488.
The valorization of cheese whey, a rich by-product of the dairy industry that is rich in lactose (approx. 70%), proteins (14%), and minerals (9%), represents a promising approach for microbial fermentation. With global whey production exceeding 200 million tons annually, the high biochemical oxygen demand underlines the important need for sustainable processing alternatives. This review explores the biotechnological potential of whey as a fermentation medium by examining its chemical composition, microbial interactions, and ability to support the synthesis of valuable metabolites. Functional microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria (, ), yeasts (), actinobacteria, and filamentous fungi () have demonstrated the ability to efficiently convert whey into a wide range of bioactive compounds, including organic acids, exopolysaccharides (EPSs), bacteriocins, enzymes, and peptides. To enhance microbial growth and metabolite production, whey fermentation can be carried out using various techniques, including batch, fed-batch, continuous and immobilized cell fermentation, and membrane bioreactors. These bioprocessing methods improve substrate utilization and metabolite yields, contributing to the efficient utilization of whey. These bioactive compounds have diverse applications in food, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and biofuels and strengthen the role of whey as a sustainable biotechnological resource. Patents and clinical studies confirm the diverse bioactivities of whey-derived metabolites and their industrial potential. Whey peptides provide antihypertensive, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and antimicrobial benefits, while bacteriocins and EPSs act as natural preservatives in foods and pharmaceuticals. Also, organic acids such as lactic acid and propionic acid act as biopreservatives that improve food safety and provide health-promoting formulations. These results emphasize whey's significant industrial relevance as a sustainable, cost-efficient substrate for the production of high-quality bioactive compounds in the food, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and bioenergy sectors.
奶酪乳清是乳制品行业丰富的副产品，富含乳糖（约70%）、蛋白质（14%）和矿物质（9%），对其进行增值利用是微生物发酵的一种有前景的方法。全球乳清年产量超过2亿吨，其高生化需氧量凸显了对可持续加工替代方案的迫切需求。本综述通过研究乳清的化学成分、微生物相互作用以及支持有价值代谢物合成的能力，探讨了乳清作为发酵培养基的生物技术潜力。功能微生物如乳酸菌（ ）、酵母（ ）、放线菌和丝状真菌（ ）已证明能够有效地将乳清转化为多种生物活性化合物，包括有机酸、胞外多糖（EPSs）、细菌素、酶和肽。为了提高微生物生长和代谢物产量，可以使用各种技术进行乳清发酵，包括分批、补料分批、连续和固定化细胞发酵以及膜生物反应器。这些生物加工方法提高了底物利用率和代谢物产量，有助于乳清的高效利用。这些生物活性化合物在食品、制药、农业和生物燃料领域有多种应用，并强化了乳清作为可持续生物技术资源的作用。专利和临床研究证实了乳清衍生代谢物的多种生物活性及其工业潜力。乳清肽具有降血压、抗氧化、免疫调节和抗菌作用，而细菌素和EPSs在食品和药品中作为天然防腐剂。此外，乳酸和丙酸等有机酸作为生物防腐剂，可提高食品安全并提供促进健康的配方。这些结果强调了乳清作为食品、制药、农业和生物能源领域生产高质量生物活性化合物的可持续、低成本底物的重要工业相关性。
