Milk fat as a source of bioactive compounds

Abstract

Milk fat is a source of not only nutritionally valuable but also biologically active ingredients that are involved in various regulatory processes, thus participating in a functioning organism. These compounds have been studied and various beneficial effects on the health and development of the organism have been described. Ingredients such as fatty acids (monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid) and phospholipids (glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids) may have a beneficial effect on human health or can prevent various diseases. Some candidate genes that are significantly involved in milk fat metabolisms, such as diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1, thus contribute to the composition and concentration of the individual components of milk fat. This review deals with the composition of the collected bioactive components of milk fat and their impact on health and their potential to produce functional foods.