A procedure for the complete clarification of milk of various species and its suitability for use with colorimetric measurements

Summary Bovine, caprine, ovine and human milks have been clarified by addition of Triton X-100 and EDTA followed by a short incubation. Generally, addition of 4·2% Triton X–100 and 5·4% EDTA was sufficient and with skim-milk samples no dilution was necessary. With whole milks some dilution and greater amounts of Triton X-100 or longer incubation times or higher temperatures were required. These factors were interrelated to some extent and the optimum conditions will be determined by convenience and any particular requirements of the experiment. The attainment of optically transparent milk samples greatly facilitates colorimetric measurements; as examples we have shown that total protein may be estimated by the biuret reaction, NH2groups measured with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid and SH groups by reaction with 5, 5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid). Acid phosphatase activity in bovine milk was followed colorimetrically by reaction withp-nitrophenyl phosphate to demonstrate the suitability of the clarification procedure in the measurement of enzymic reactions.