Of all food products dairy foods have the most potential concerning functional foods. Therefore, there is a tremendous amount of interest in value-added milk products and the identification of components in food which have health benefits. Bioactive Components of Milk provides an overview of these derived components and their diverse activities including: the stimulation of beneficial microflora, alerting the immune system to the presence of potential pathogens and allergens, binding and eliminating toxins, etc.The book is divided into four parts. The first part focuses on bioactive milk lipid components, which very widely among mammalian species. The second part describes different aspects of biological active colostrums and milk proteins and their derivatives, with special concern on species specific effects. The third part reviews the production of recombinant human proteins in the milk of livestock animals - including ethical issues - and the aims of altering milk composition for the benefit of both the animals themselves and the consumers. The final part focuses on the influence of ruminants nutrition on the biological activity of milk.

Milk Lipids: A Source of Bioactive Molecules.- Trans Fatty Acids and Bioactive Lipids in Ruminant Milk.- Expression and Nutritional Regulation of Lipogenic Genes in the Ruminant Lactating Mammary Gland.- Lipophilic Microconstituents of Milk.- Biological Activity of Native Milk Proteins: Species-Specific Effects.- Milk Fat Globule Membrane Components¿A Proteomic Approach.- Milk Lipoprotein Membranes and Their Imperative Enzymes.- Lactoferrin Structure and Functions.- CD14: A Soluble Pattern Recognition Receptor in Milk.- Apoptosis and Tumor Cell Death in Response to HAMLET (Human ?-Lactalbumin Made Lethal to Tumor Cells).- A Proline-Rich Polypeptide from Ovine Colostrum: Colostrinin with Immunomodulatory Activity.- Milk Peptides.- Milk Peptides and Immune Response in the Neonate.- Protective Effect of Milk Peptides: Antibacterial and Antitumor Properties.- Antihypertensive Peptides Derived from Bovine Casein and Whey Proteins.- Induced Biologically Active Components from the Milk of Livestock Animals.- Targeted Antibodies in Dairy-Based Products.- Manipulation of Milk Fat Composition Through Transgenesis.- Producing Recombinant Human Milk Proteins in the Milk of Livestock Species.- The Influence of Nutrition on the Production of Bioactive Milk Components.- Insulin-Like Growth Factors (IGFs), IGF Binding Proteins, and Other Endocrine Factors in Milk: Role in the Newborn.- Probiotics, Immunomodulation, and Health Benefits.- Potential Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Infectious Effects of Human Milk Oligosaccharides.- On the Role of Breastfeeding in Health Promotion and the Prevention of Allergic Diseases.