Types of Casein

Milk, a creamy elixir of life, owes much of its nutritional prowess to proteins like casein. This family of milk proteins, comprising casein and whey, are the unsung heroes in the battle against chronic diseases. Today, we're diving into casein, the slow-digesting protein. That forms curds in the stomach, gradually releasing amino acids, perfect for muscle building and improving health.

αs1-Casein, a natural energy booster, is a flexible protein that self-associates under various conditions. Its behaviour changes with pH and ionic strength from dissociating into monomers at high pH to bind calcium ions or precipitating at low calcium concentrations.

Less explored but equally important, αs2-casein has a dipolar structure that binds calcium ions with high affinity. Its sensitivity to calcium ion-induced precipitation surpasses that of αs1-casein, and its association behaviour is influenced by the ionic strength of its environment. β-Casein, resembling anionic detergents, has temperature-dependent association properties.