Partial substitution of NaCl by KCl and addition of flavor enhancers on probiotic Prato cheese: A study covering manufacturing, ripening and storage time

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 248; pp. 192 - 200
• Main Authors: Silva, Hugo L.A., Balthazar, Celso F., Esmerino, Erick A., Neto, Roberto P.C., Rocha, Ramon S., Moraes, Jeremias, Cavalcanti, Rodrigo N., Franco, Robson M., Tavares, Maria Inês B., Santos, Jânio S., Granato, Daniel, Costa, Renata G.B., Freitas, Mônica Q., Silva, Márcia C., Raices, Renata S.L., Senaka Ranadheera, C., Nazzaro, Filomena, Mortazavian, Amir M., Cruz, Adriano G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 15-05-2018
• Subjects: Bioactive compounds; Fatty acidy profile; Flavor enhancer; Lactobacillus casei-01; Prato cheese; Sodium reduction; TD-nuclear magnetic resonance; Lactobacillus casei-01; Sodium reduction; Bioactive compounds; TD-nuclear magnetic resonance; Prato cheese; Flavor enhancer; Fatty acidy profile
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.12.064

•Sodium and flavor enhancers addition probiotic Prato Cheese processing.•No effect on the probiotic count and gastrointestinal resistance.•Increased proteolysis, ACE-values, firmness, elasticity and lower relaxation times (T2).•Increased antioxidant activity in probiotic Prato cheese added of arginine and oregano extract.•Different effects in monounsaturated fatty acids and short-chain fatty acids levels.
Cheese is a suitable matrix to deliver probiotic strains but it contains a high amount of sodium. The effect of partial substitution of NaCl by KCl and the addition of flavor enhancers (l-arginine, yeast and oregano extract) on probiotic Prato cheese was investigated after 1, 30, and 60 d of refrigerated storage (immediately after manufacturing, and during ripening and storage). Microbiological (lactic acid bacteria and probiotic Lactobacillus casei 01 counts and survival under gastrointestinal conditions), physicochemical (pH, proteolysis, fatty acids), bioactivity (antioxidant effect and angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory activity), rheological, and water mobility by means of time domain low-field nuclear magnetic resonance were investigated. Significant changes in probiotic survival were observed; however, the sodium reduction and the addition of flavor enhancers did not constitute an obstacle to L. casei 01 (>108 CFU/g) during storage. Slight changes were observed in proteolysis, bioactivity, water mobility, texture profile, and fatty acids of the cheeses as a function of the flavor enhancer added. The sodium reduction and the supplementation of Prato cheese with probiotic cultures may be an effective alternative to the production of a potentially functional cheese.