Taurine in milk and yoghurt marketed in Italy

Abstract

Taurine, a free amino acid, was studied as natural compound of different typologies of milk: pasteurized, ultra-high temperature (UHT), microfiltered whole and semi-skimmed cow's milk; pasteurized and UHT goat's whole milk and raw buffalo's whole milk. Moreover, taurine contents in yoghurt from cow and goat's milk were evaluated. The data obtained in this research showed that no significant variations of taurine occurred in cow's milk subjected to different technological processes and between whole and semi-skimmed milk. The amount of taurine was less (p < 0.05) in cow's milk (0.60 mg/100 g) than in goat and buffalo's milk (6.55 and 7.32 mg/100 g, respectively). No significant differences in taurine occurred between goat and buffalo's samples. The amounts of taurine in yoghurt reflected, substantially, the content of this molecule in the milk of the relevant animal species. These results are noteworthy because data available in the literature on this molecule in commercial dairy products are old or few.

Taurine, energy drinks, and neuroendocrine effects

“…25 Foods such as poultry, beef, pork, seafood, and processed meats have a high taurine content ( Table 2). [26][27][28][29] People who eat meat and seafood have plentiful taurine intake, whereas vegetarians and vegans consume much less and have signifi cantly lower circulating levels 30 because plants do not contain taurine in appreciable amounts. 26,29 The typical American diet provides between 123 and 178 mg of taurine daily.…”

Goat Milk Foodomics. Dietary Supplementation of Sunflower Oil and Rapeseed Oil Modify Milk Amino Acid and Organic Acid Profiles in Dairy Goats

“…Taurine in milk also plays an important role in the growth and development of newborns ( 49 ). Taurine is the most preponderant free amino acid in goat milk and considered to be an important milk nutrient for very young babies or preterm infants ( 50 ). Human and goat milk have a similar content of this amino acid, which is one of the reasons why goat milk is a good alternative to human milk ( 50 ).…”

Bioactive Compounds in Infant Formula and Their Effects on Infant Nutrition and Health: A Systematic Literature Review

“…It is often referred to as a "nonessential" amino acid or a "conditionally essential." This means that they can be considered essential in individual physiological states of development and certain clinical conditions [96]. In general, mammals can synthesize taurine endogenously, but some species, such as humans, are more dependent on taurine food sources [97].…”

“…The biosynthesis of taurine varies according to the developmental stage. In this way, human infants, unlike adults, cannot synthesize taurine from methionine and cysteine precursors [95,96,99,100]. Infants depend on taurine delivered from their mothers via either the placenta or human milk so that the plasma level remains significant [99].…”

“…Some dairy products, such as cow's milk, have low amounts of taurine (0.5 mg/100 mL); for this reason, synthetic taurine has been added to infant formula [98]. In contrast to this, goat's milk, which has a similar taurine content to human milk, is a potential alternative to synthetic taurine [96]. Synthetic taurine is voluntarily added to infant formula as part of the wider strategy to match infant formula with human milk, as taurine is rare in cow's milk.…”