ABSTRACT
Milk polar lipids (MPL) include two main types of compounds, glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids, and are a minor but very bioactive fraction of milk fat. Their nutritional interest has boosted research on their composition, concentration, and functional characterization. The methodologies of analysis of MPL including fat extraction from milk and dairy products, isolation of polar lipid fraction from other lipid classes, and separation of the different polar lipid classes prior to physicochemical analyses are detailed in the present chapter. Examples of laboratory tests to evaluate polar lipids’ emulsifying or foaming properties are detailed. Evolution of chromatographic methods and cutting-edge analytical techniques are also discussed.
