RESUMEN
We investigated the effects of a pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment on microbial inactivation and the physical properties of low-fat milk. Milk inoculated with Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, or Lactobacillus brevis was supplied to a pilot-scale PEF treatment system at a flow rate of 30 L/h. Pulses with an electric field strength of 10 kV/cm and a pulse width of 30 µs were applied to the milk with total pulse energies of 50-250 kJ/L achieved by varying the pulse frequency. The inactivation curves of the test microorganisms were biphasic with an initial lag phase (or shoulder) followed by a phase of rapid inactivation. PEF treatments with a total pulse energy of 200 kJ/L resulted in a 4.5-log reduction in E. coli, a 4.4-log reduction in L. brevis, and a 6.0-log reduction in S. cerevisiae. Total pulse energies of 200 and 250 kJ/L resulted in greater than 5-log reductions in microbial counts in stored PEF-treated milk, and the growth of surviving microorganisms was slow during storage for 15 d at 4â. PEF treatment did not change milk physical properties such as pH, color, or particle-size distribution (p<0.05). These results indicate that a relatively low electric-field strength of 10 kV/cm can be used to pasteurize low-fat milk.
RESUMEN
The objective of this study was to identify lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from kimchi and to evaluate its characteristics and functional properties for application in fermented dairy products as a probiotic or commercial starter culture. Eight stains isolated from kimchi were selected through an investigation of phenotypic characteristics. Two strains (DK211 and DK303) were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, another two (DK207 and DK215) as Lactobacillus paracasei, and one (DK301) as Lactobacillus sakei. The remaining three strains were identified as species of Weissella. All selected Lactobacillus strains had acid and bile tolerance, even though there was wide variation in the ability of each strain. DK303 showed a remarkably higher proteolytic activity. There were no significant differences in ß-galactosidase activity among the tested strains, except that DK301 showed no activity. Auto-aggregation varied between 82.1 and 90.0%, and hydrophobicity values ranged from 0.5 to 51.6%.The strongest auto-aggregation and hydrophobicity were observed in DK211. All selected strains showed better 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrzyl (DPPH) scavenging activity than commercial strains. DK211, DK215, DK301, and DK303 had effective inhibitory activity against all pathogens tested except E. coli. When selected strains were used for yogurt preparation as a single starter culture, the time required to reach target titratable acidity (0.9) was 11-12 h. The yogurt fermented with DK211 had favorable panelists ratings for most sensory attributes, which were comparable with yogurt fermented with a commercial strain. The results suggest that strains isolated from kimchi could be potential probiotic and starter cultures for use in yogurt manufacturing.
RESUMEN
The aim of this study was to determine the effects of temperature and supplementation with skim milk powder (SMP) on the microbial and proteolytic properties during the storage of cottage cheese. Cottage cheese was manufactured using skim milk with 2% SMP and without SMP as the control, and then stored at 5°C or 12°C during 28 days. The chemical composition of the cottage cheese and the survival of the cheese microbiota containing starter lactic acid bacteria (SLAB) and non-starter culture lactic acid bacteria (NSLAB) were evaluated. In addition, changes in the concentration of lactose and lactic acid were analyzed, and proteolysis was evaluated through the measurement of acid soluble nitrogen (ASN) and nonprotein nitrogen (NPN), as well as electrophoresis profile analysis. The counts of SLAB and NSLAB increased through the addition of SMP and with a higher storage temperature (12°C), which coincided with the results of the lactose decrease and lactic acid production. Collaborating with these microbial changes, of the end of storage for 28 days, the level of ASN in samples at 12°C was higher than those at 5°C. The NPN content was also progressively increased in all samples stored at 12°C. Taken together, the rate of SLAB and NSLAB proliferation during storage at 12°C was higher than at 5°C, and consequently it led to increased proteolysis in the cottage cheese during storage. However, it was relatively less affected by SMP fortification. These findings indicated that the storage temperature is the important factor for the quality of commercial cottage cheese.