2023 December Board Book

in yogurt responsible for barrier protection. Researchers hypothesize that dairy yogurts, and not plant-based yogurts, are able to support intestinal barrier integrity and that this is the result of soluble compounds shared between different dairy-yogurt types. Industry Benefit: The expected impact of this research will be an improved positioning of dairy yogurt as a health-protecting and health-promoting part of the human diet and the distinction of (dairy) yogurt from plant-based alternatives. The findings can be used for informing consumers about the benefits of dairy yogurt consumption on gut health, and because California is the second largest yogurt-producing state in the U.S., the project could provide a positive economic impact for California dairy farmers.

2024 – 2025 Dairy Co-Products Role in Gut-Brain Function

Researchers: Dr. Ameer Taha, Dr. Daniela Barile, UC Davis, Department of Food Science and Technology 2024 Budget: $70,280; CMAB REQUEST $52,710 (Total $140,560) 2025 Budget Request: $22,846 (Total Budget $45,692) Background: Approximately 50% of individuals above the age of 65 suffer from cognitive impairment which currently has no treatments. Impaired cognition could progress into dementia and significantly lower quality of life for millions of Americans. This research will establish the role of cur rently existing abundant dairy co-products in reversing or slowing cogni tive impairment induced by a high-fat Western-like diet. Recently, the Taha and Barile labs discovered that supplementing whey protein phospho-lipid concentrate (WPPC) to rats for 4 months, prevented cognitive impairment induced by a high-fat Western diet by promot ing remyelination through the supply of sialic acid (a key component of myelin). WPPC, a co-product of whey protein isolation, remains un der-utilized despite being enriched with multiple bioactives including sialic acid-containing glycoproteins and glycolipids. Recent findings from this research group revealed that WPPC also contains extracellular vesicles (EVs) which are a diverse group of tiny membrane-bound vesicles that are released by the mammary cells into milk. EVs have gained significant atten tion in the field of therapeutics as they can concentrate and encapsulate milk based bioactives that can impact brain health.

Industry Benefit: Enabling the discovery of strategies that reverse or halt the pro gression of cognitive impairment will be dually beneficial to the California dairy indus try and the millions of aging Americans who suffer from cognitive decline. The proposed work will provide new knowledge on sustainable ways to utilize dairy co-products, currently valued at less than $1 per pound, towards brain health. This will position EV-enriched milk frac tions to become a novel ingredient for the elderly over the next 3 to 5 years, a population that remains supportive of dairy consumption.. 2024 Whey and Well-Being: A Pilot Study* Researcher: Dr. Jamie Baum, University of Arkansas, Department of Food Science 2024 Budget: $49,966; CMAB REQUEST $37,474 (Project Total $99,931) *Project is co-funded 50/50 with National Dairy Council (NDC). NDC will manage the project. Background: Recent studies have identified an association between skeletal muscle mass and subjective