Cheese ripening in nonconventional conditions: A multiparameter study applied to Protected Geographical Indication Canestrato di Moliterno cheese.

A multiparameter study was performed to evaluate the effect of fondaco, a traditional ripening cellar without any artificial temperature and relative humidity control, on the chemical, microbiological, and sensory characteristics of Protected Geographical Indication Canestrato di Moliterno cheese. Ripening in such a nonconventional environment was associated with lower counts of lactococci, lactobacilli, and total viable bacteria, and higher presence of enterococci, in comparison with ripening in a controlled maturation room. Moreover, fondaco cheese underwent accelerated maturation, as demonstrated by faster casein degradation, greater accumulation of free AA, and higher formation of volatile organic compounds. Secondary proteolysis, as assessed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry of free AA and low molecular weight peptides, did not show any qualitative difference among cheeses, but fondaco samples evidenced an advanced level of peptidolysis. On the other hand, significant qualitative differences were observed in the free fatty acid profiles and in the sensory characteristics. Principal component analysis showed a clear separation of the fondaco and control cheeses, indicating that ripening in the natural room conferred unique sensory features to the product.

Anti-Proliferative and Pro-Apoptotic Effects of Digested Aglianico Grape Pomace Extract in Human Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Grape pomace (GP)-the major by-product of winemaking processes-still contains bioactive molecules with known beneficial properties for human health, such as an antiradical scavenging activity or an antiproliferative activity of tumors. In vitro studies have demonstrated that GP polyphenols specifically influence colon cancer cell proliferation. In addition to previously published work, we tested the phenolic compounds of Aglianico GP following an in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion on colorectal cancer cell lines at different degrees of differentiation. Our experiments, using HT29 and SW480 cells, confirmed the anti-proliferative effect of GP gastrointestinal digested extract and provided intriguing insights on the way it influences the cancer cell features (i.e., viability, proliferation, and apoptosis). We observed that Aglianico GP extract showed a great ability to affect cell proliferation and apoptosis. Interestingly, both HT29 and SW480 cells produced a significant increase in Bax, and a significant increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3. The gastrointestinal digested GP extract was previously characterized both for antioxidant activity and phenolic composition. As a result, the TPC and the antioxidant activity reached high values in the Aglianico GP digested extract, and the main compounds assessed by UHPLC-DAD were anthocyanins, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. This work shed light on the use of digested GP extract as a dietary ingredient, a very sustainable source of nutritional compounds with potential health benefits for colon cancer cell proliferation.

Effect of over crop and reduced yield by cluster thinning on phenolic and volatile compounds of grapes and wines of 'Sangiovese' trained to Tendone.

BACKGROUND: 'Sangiovese' (Vitis vinifera L.) is a well-known Italian wine grape utilized for producing the prestigious Chianti Classico brand. Here, 'Sangiovese' is generally trained to a vertical training system, with an imposed crop level of around 3-5 kg per vine to preserve grape quality. Tendone comprises a horizontal trellis system, largely diffused in Mediterranean Countries for table grape production, and is adopted to achieve a high yield and to preserve grapes, by means of its canopy architecture, from excessive solar radiation, which in turn affects the organoleptic aspects of grapes and wines. The present study aimed to evaluate, in terms of phenolic and volatile compounds of grape and wines, 'Sangiovese' trained to Tendone, as affected by two crop levels, namely very high and reduced yields. RESULTS: Reduced yield (18.39 kg per vine) by cluster thinning still appeared to provide a considerable yield and quality of grapes and wines. Thinning increased pH, tartaric acid content, flavonoids, anthocyanins, total polyphenols and proanthocyanins, and total free and bound aroma compounds, without affecting soluble solids and titratable acidity of grapes. As regards wines, reduced yield increased pH, tartaric and malic acids and dry reduced extract, flavonoids, anthocyanins, total polyphenols and proanthocyanins, and, finally, the color intensity of wines. CONCLUSION: The present study highlights that Tendone training systems, combined with 40% of cluster thinning, allows a high yield to be reached, allowing, at the same time, a very interesting quality of grapes, making it possible to produce qualitative wines. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Fresh pomegranate juices from cultivars and local ecotypes grown in southeastern Italy: comparison of physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds.

BACKGROUND: Pomegranate juice has gained attention for its health properties, becoming consequently a highly demanded product. The revival of the pomegranate in Italy, as in other Mediterranean countries, starts with the planting of new intensive orchards characterized by both the new cultivation technique and new varieties. As a result of growing demand and high productivity, pomegranate could become an interesting crop to diversify farm income. This study seeks to determine the aril juice quality attributes and bioactive compounds of six pomegranate cultivars ('Mollar', 'Dente di cavallo', 'Acco', 'Jolly red', 'Wonderful' and 'Wonderful Super') and two local ecotypes ('Eco BA' and 'Eco FG') grown in Apulia region, southern Italy. RESULTS: The aril juices were evaluated for their main physicochemical properties (yield, color, pH, total soluble solids content, titratable acidity, sugar-acid ratio), chemical and bioactive compounds (vitamin C, phenolics, anthocyanins and antioxidant activities). 'Eco BA', 'Mollar' and 'Jolly red' genotypes were characterized by the highest maturity index, and then could be considered to be sweet-sour in taste. Total phenols and antioxidant activity were higher in 'Dente di cavallo' and 'Eco FG' genotypes. 'Eco FG' was also the richest in vitamin C, punicalagin and ellagic acids, while 'Dente di cavallo', 'Acco' and 'Wonderful' showed the highest content of the detected anthocyanin compounds. CONCLUSION: These results contribute to current knowledge about chemical composition, phenolic contents, anthocyanin profiles and antioxidant activity of pomegranate juice from different genotypes, showing in most cases an appreciable juice quality and bioactive profile, although significant differences among them were detected. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Bioactive compounds and quality evaluation of 'Wonderful' pomegranate fruit and juice as affected by deficit irrigation.

BACKGROUND: Persistent water shortage, typical of Mediterranean agricultural systems, has driven production methods towards the use of regulated deficit irrigation (DI) strategies, which may allow important water savings. To evaluate the extent to which pomegranate (cv. 'Wonderful') attributes may differ depending on the irrigation application rates, we investigated the effect of four different irrigation regimes (100, 75, 50, and 25% of maximum crop evapotranspiration - ETC ) on their morpho-pomological, physico-chemical properties, and bioactive compounds. RESULTS: The weight and the size of whole fruits, and the number of arils and their weight per fruit, decreased significantly with the restriction of ETC water volumes applied to the crop. Minor differences were observed in soluble solids, pH, color of fruit skins, arils, and juices, although total acidity, maturity index, vitamin C, glucose, and fructose were not affected. However, total phenol content and antioxidant activity in juices were higher in the samples subjected to the DI treatments than in those submitted to full irrigation, showing the highest value at 50% ETC . A similar trend was found for anthocyanins delphinidin-3,5-diglucoside and delphinidin-3-glucoside, reaching the highest concentration at 50% ETC . Among non-anthocyanin compounds, punicalagins and pedunculagin were more concentrated in the 75% ETc samples. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicate that the DI strategy throughout all the growing season is likely to have important implication for the pomegranate's physical, chemical, and phytochemical properties. Knowledge of them is useful in view of their processing and nutritional properties. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Technological attempts at producing cheese from donkey milk.

The work described in this Research Communication addressed the hypothesis that it is possible to produce cheese from donkey milk by appropriate adjusting of the cheesemaking parameters. A series of coagulation trials were performed on donkey milk, alone or fortified with goat milk (85/15 and 70/30, v/v), using calf rennet under different technological conditions. The parameters that changed were pH and concentration of soluble calcium, amount of rennet added and temperature of coagulation. Donkey milk gave rise to sufficiently firm curd only at 'extreme' technological conditions and, as expected, addition of goat milk improved coagulation. A cheesemaking protocol was developed for producing fresh cheese prototypes, which were checked for microbiological safety, chemical composition and sensory characteristics. Pure donkey milk gave 5·9% yield, cheese having 6·12 pH, 32·4% dry matter, 2·1% fat and 18·5% protein. The electrophoretic analysis ascertained that ß-casein was the most abundant compound in donkey cheese, but whey proteins were also present in non-negligible amounts. Finally, the sensory evaluation demonstrated that all cheeses were acceptable and provided detailed description of their flavour characteristics.

Exploitation of grape marc as functional substrate for lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria growth and enhanced antioxidant activity.

This study aimed at using grape marc for the growth of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria with the perspective of producing a functional ingredient having antioxidant activity. Lactobacillus plantarum 12A and PU1, Lactobacillus paracasei 14A, and Bifidobacterium breve 15A showed the ability to grow on grape marc (GM) based media. The highest bacterial cell density (>9.0 CFU/g) was found in GM added of 1% of glucose (GMG). Compared to un-inoculated and incubated control fermented GMG showed a decrease of carbohydrates and citric acid together with an increase of lactic acid. The content of several free amino acids and phenol compounds differed between samples. Based on the survival under simulated gastro-intestinal conditions, GMG was a suitable carrier of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria strains. Compared to the control, cell-free supernatant (CFS) of fermented GMG exhibited a marked antioxidant activity in vitro. The increased antioxidant activity was confirmed using Caco-2 cell line after inducing oxidative stress, and determining cell viability and radical scavenging activity through MTT and DCFH-DA assays, respectively. Supporting these founding, the SOD-2 gene expression of Caco-2 cells also showed a lowest pro-oxidant effect induced by the four CFS of GMG fermented by lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria.

Production and characterisation of reduced-fat and PUFA-enriched Burrata cheese.

Burrata is an Italian fresh 'pasta filata' cheese made from cow's milk and cream that is rapidly spreading in Europe. It has very high caloric content, and a technological protocol was developed for producing a reduced-fat type and fortifying it with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of vegetable origin. A satisfactory reduced-fat prototype was obtained by using a 14% fat cream, which was specifically developed by diluting double cream with a suspension of carob seed flour. The composition of the new cheese changed with respect to the control, but the sensory characteristics were not impaired. Moisture increased from 62·6 to 68·4%, fat on dry matter decreased from 59·1 to 34·7%, and the caloric content decreased from 1060·8 to 718 J/100 g. Proteolysis and lipolysis were not affected by the technological modifications: after 7 d storage, the electrophoretic pattern of caseins and the free fatty acids profile of experimental and control cheeses were not significantly different. Fortification of reduced-fat Burrata with PUFA was obtained by using two commercial formulates available at a compatible price with the current economic values of the cheese. The two formulates derived from flaxseeds and Carthamus tinctorius oil and allowed enrichment in C18 :3 : n3 (α-linolenic acid, ALA), and 9cis,11trans- and 10trans,12cis- conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), respectively. Fortification was easy to perform under a technical point of view, but the negative sensory impact limited fortification at a maximum of 7·0 mg g-1 fat ALA and 6·8 g-1 fat CLA.

Application of toasted vine-shoot chips and ultrasound treatment in the ageing of Primitivo wine.

Ageing wine in barrels is an historical practice used to improve the aromatic complexity of wine, but due to the high cost and the long ageing period, alternative approaches have been developed, such as the use of wood chips and ultrasound treatment. The present paper reports the results of an investigation performed on wine (cv. Primitivo). Three treatments were investigated: a) control wine untreated; b) wine with toasted vine-shoot chips (10 g/L); c) wine with toasted vine-shoot chips (10 g/L) and treated by ultrasound. Wines were analysed after 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. The application of ultrasound combined with vine-shoot chips promoted tannin evolution, thereby accelerating the ageing process of wine. The chips addition decreased the total anthocyanins content and increased the stilbenes (trans-resveratrol and trans-piceid) and wood-related aromas (i.e., furfural, 5-methylfurfural) concentration. Finally, wines added with chips were richer in woody, vanilla, oak, and chocolate notes and more preferred by the tasters.

Application of Commercial Biopreservation Starter in Combination with MAP for Shelf-Life Extension of Burrata Cheese.

Burrata is a fresh pasta filata cheese manufactured in Italy. Its demand on the worldwide market is constantly growing, and prolonging its shelf-life is an important challenge for the Italian dairy industry. In the present study, combining a commercial bio-protective starter and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) was evaluated as a strategy to delay the spoilage of product quality. Three experimental samples of burrata were produced by experimental trials at the industrial level and stored for 28 days under refrigerated conditions. Two samples contained the protective starter but were packaged differently (under MAP and immersed in water), and one did not contain the starter and was packaged under MAP. A sample of burrata without a starter and immersed in water was also prepared and used as a control. The combination of MAP and bio-protective starter delayed the degradation of lactose and citric acid, used as indices of microbial activity. In fact, lower counts of Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas were observed in this sample. In contrast, control burrata had the highest level of total Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) at the end of the storage period, because of higher microbial activity. Even though all samples were judged to be unacceptable after 28 days from the sensory point of view, the sample with bio-protective starter under MAP had the best score after 21 days, obtaining a shelf-life extension of about 7 days with respect to control. In conclusion, the combination of MAP and protective starter culture could be an easy way to extend the shelf-life of burrata stored under correct refrigerated conditions.

Impact of Milk Thermization on the Quality Characteristics of P.D.O. "Canestrato Pugliese" Ovine Hard Cheese.

The use of raw milk is compulsory in the manufacturing process of most of the European protected designation of origin (PDO) cheeses but, for ovine products, it is often responsible for faulty productions. Since pasteurization is hardly compatible with the PDO concept, a milder treatment (thermization) is allowed in some cases. An investigation was undertaken to assess the effect of thermization on the overall quality of Canestrato Pugliese, a PDO ovine hard cheese of Southern Italy that can be manufactured exclusively from raw milk. Three types of cheese were produced using raw, mild-thermized and high-thermized milk inoculated with a thermophilic commercial starter. The results demonstrated that the heat treatment did not cause remarkable differences in the gross composition, but the microbiological profiles had some differences despite the use of the selected starter. The raw milk cheese contained higher levels (0.5-1 log units) of mesophilic lactobacilli, total viables, total coliforms and enterococci with respect to the thermized counterparts, with the high-thermized cheese showing the lowest levels; these microbiological differences fitted well with the higher content and the different High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) pattern of soluble nitrogen. The sensory analysis revealed that the thermized cheeses lost some typical sensory characteristics, probably as a consequence of the reduced indigenous microbiota populations. It was concluded that milk thermization could be applied to Canestrato Pugliese manufacturing only together with the development and use of an autochthonous starter.

The Effect of Ultrasound Treatment in Winemaking on the Volatile Compounds of Aglianico, Nero di Troia, and Primitivo Red Wines.

An ultrasound (US) treatment was applied during the vinification of three different red grape cultivars with the aim of assessing the impact on the volatile profile of the wines. A robust solid phase micro extraction coupled with gas chromatography mass-spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) method was developed in order to fix the best parameters for optimizing the volatile organic compound (VOC) recovery. A 15% NaCl solution was added to the samples to increase the salting-out effect, the time/temperature were appropriately selected, and the matrix effect was evaluated by comparing synthetic and real matrices. In addition, external calibration curves were used to quantify the single volatile compounds. The analyses of the wine samples at 7 and 14 months of aging revealed that US exerted the highest effect on Aglianico, which had the highest amount of total VOC. US Nero di Troia showed similar results after 14 months of aging, while Primitivo was not affected by the treatment. Nevertheless, from discriminant analysis, a clear separation was observed between the control and ultrasound-treated wines for all three cultivars, with ethyl decanoate, ethyl isopentyl succinate, and butyric acid having the highest discriminant coefficients. In conclusion, the obtained results indicated that the effect of US treatment on the VOC profile of the wine considered in the experimentation is cultivar-dependent.

Artificial aging of Uva di Troia and Primitivo wines using oak chips inoculated with Penicillium purpurogenum.

BACKGROUND: Two red wines (Primitivo and Uva di Troia) treated with oak chips inoculated with Penicillium purpurogenum were analysed in order to assess their contents of furfural, cis-ß-methyl-γ-octalactone, syringol, eugenol, vanillin and 4-vinylguaiacol. Two different sizes of oak chips (small and big, of length 2 and 8 mm respectively) and two different degrees of toasting (low and high) were used in the study. Aroma compounds were analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to determine differences among samples after 15 days of chip contact time. RESULTS: Big oak chips inoculated with P. purpurogenum increased the level of 4-vinylguaiacol, while small oak chips inoculated with P. purpurogenum, in some conditions, increased the level of eugenol. Chip size and degree of toasting also played an important role in the content of eugenol. CONCLUSION: The use of oak chips inoculated with mould might be a promising alternative to barrel aging. Moreover, different fungal inocula could contribute to the enrichment of wine with specific compounds (e.g. 4-vinylguaiacol and eugenol).

Effect of Early Basal Leaf Removal on Phenolic and Volatile Composition and Sensory Properties of Aglianico Red Wines.

The aim of this work was to study the influence of early basal leaf removal on Aglianico wines produced in the Apulia region (Italy). Three treatments were carried out, where 100% of fruit-zone leaves on the north (DN), south (DS) and on both sides of the canopy (DNS) were removed. A control (CT), where all basal leaves were retained, was also performed. Instrumental (HPLC-DAD-MS and GC-MS) and sensory analysis (QDA) were used to evaluate the treatment effect on the phenolic and volatile compositions and on the sensory descriptors of wines. DNS reached the highest amounts of phenolic compounds, showing a change in the phenolic pattern from flavonols and anthocyanins. Moreover, leaf removal influenced the levels of 37.8% of volatile compounds, quantified by increasing the concentration when early leaf removal was applied on the north side of the canopy (DN), with respect to the south (DS) and both sides (DNS). In the sensory analysis, Aglianico wines were defined by 16 sensory attributes with GM > 30%, where the highest values were reached for defoliation treatments vs. control. In conclusion, early leaf removal treatments allowed us to modulate the phenolic and volatile concentrations of Aglianico wines.

Vine Shoots as a Source of Trans-Resveratrol and ε-Viniferin: A Study of 23 Italian Varieties.

Stilbenes are a family of phenolic secondary metabolites that are known for their important roles in plant protection and human health. Numerous studies show that vine shoots, one of the most abundant winery wastes, could be used as a source of bioactive compounds such as stilbenes. The predominant stilbenoids in vine shoots are trans-resveratrol (Rsv) and ε-viniferin (Vf), whose content varies depending on numerous intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The present work investigates the influence of pre-treatment and variety on stilbene concentration in vine shoots. Vine shoots of the Primitivo and Negroamaro varieties were submitted to four different trials before stilbene extraction (untreated, dried at 50 °C for 24 h, dried at 70 °C for 15 min, and dried at 80 °C for 10 min). The results showed that the heat pre-treatments had a slight impact on the total phenol and stilbene content. In contrast, the variety variable had a stronger impact on stilbene concentration, ranging from 2700 to 6400 mg kg-1 DW for untreated vine shoots of 23 Italian varieties. In all vine shoots, the most abundant stilbene compound was Rsv and the highest content was found in vine shoots of the Nero di Troia (5298.1 mg kg-1 DW) and Negroamaro (5249.4 mg kg-1 DW) varieties.

Assessment of "Sugranineteen" Table Grape Maturation Using Destructive and Auto-Fluorescence Methods.

The optimal harvesting of table grapes is commonly determined based on technological and phenolic indices analyzed over the course of its maturity. The classical techniques used for these analyses are destructive, time-consuming, and work for a limited number of samples that may not represent the heterogeneity of the vineyard. This study aimed to follow the ripening season of table grapes using non-destructive tools as a rapid and accurate alternative for destructive techniques. Grape samples were collected from a Sugranineteen vineyard during the ripening season to measure the basic maturity indices via wet chemistry, and total polyphenols, anthocyanins, and flavonoids were evaluated by spectrophotometry. Fluorescent readings were collected from intact clusters with a portable optical sensor (Multiplex® 3, Force-A, France) that generates indices correlated to different maturity parameters. Results revealed strong relationships between the Multiplex® indices ANTH_RG and FERARI and the skin anthocyanin content, with R2 values equal to 0.9613 and 0.8713, respectively. The NBI_R index was also related to total anthocyanins (R2 = 0.8032), while the SFR_R index was linked to the titratable acidity (R2 = 0.6186), the sugar content (R2 = 0.7954), and to the color index of red grapes (CIRG) (R2 = 0.7835). Results demonstrated that Multiplex® 3 can be applied on intact clusters as an effective non-destructive tool for a rapid estimation of table grapes' anthocyanin content.

Effects of Grape Pomace Polyphenols and In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion on Antimicrobial Activity: Recovery of Bioactive Compounds.

Grape pomace (GP), a major byproduct obtained from the winemaking process, is characterized by a high amount of phenolic compounds and secondary plant metabolites, with potential beneficial effects on human health. Therefore, GP is a source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activity. As people are paying more attention to sustainability, in this work, we evaluate two different extractions (aqueous and hydroalcoholic) of GP bioactive compounds. In vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion of the GP extracts was performed to improve the bioavailability and bioaccessibility of polyphenols. The antioxidant activity (ABTS and DPPH assays) and the phenolic characterization of the extracts by UHPLC-DAD were evaluated. The antimicrobial effects of GP antioxidants in combination with a probiotic (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum) on the growth of pathogenic microorganisms (Escherichia coli, Bacillus megaterium, and Listeria monocytogenes) were evaluated. As a result, an increase of antioxidant activity of aqueous GP extracts during the gastrointestinal digestion, and a contextual decrease of hydroalcoholic extracts, were detected. The main compounds assessed by UHPLC-DAD were anthocyanins, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and stilbenes. Despite lower antioxidant activity, due to the presence of antimicrobial active compounds, the aqueous extracts inhibited the growth of pathogens.

Early Basal Leaf Removal at Different Sides of the Canopy Improves the Quality of Aglianico Wine.

It is well known that the early removal of basal leaves is a viticultural practice adopted to improve the exposure of clusters to direct sunlight and UV radiation and increase the phenolic compounds and anthocyanin concentration in the berries. The aim of this work was to study the influence of early basal leaf removal on Aglianico wines produced in the Apulia region (southern Italy) during three consecutive seasons. Three vine treatments were carried out, where 100% of the cluster-zone leaves on the north, south and both sides of the canopy were removed. Undefoliated plants were used as a control. The effect of the treatments on the basic chemical parameters, phenol content and volatile composition of wines was investigated using WineScan FT-MIR, spectrophotometry, HPLC-DAD and SPME-GC/MS. Early defoliation increased the amounts of flavonoids (+35-40%), anthocyanins (+15-18%), total polyphenols (+10%), antioxidant activity (+8-14%) and colour intensity (+10%), especially when leaf removal was applied on the south side. Moreover, leaf removal led to a 40% increase in free anthocyanins when applied on the south side of the canopy, while a 24% increase was observed when applied to the north side and 21% when applied to the north and south sides. A negative effect was observed on volatile compounds, which decreased by about 18, 14 and 13% when the treatment was applied on the north, north-south and south sides of the canopy, respectively. In conclusion, early leaf removal treatments allow for the modulation of the phenolic and volatile concentrations of Aglianico wines.

Cultivar-Dependent Effects of Non-Saccharomyces Yeast Starter on the Oenological Properties of Wines Produced from Two Autochthonous Grape Cultivars in Southern Italy.

Global warming poses a threat to winemaking worldwide, especially in dry-warm regions such as Southern Italy. Must fermentation with non-Saccharomyces yeast starter is a possible approach to limit the negative effects of climate change, leading to desirable effects such as an increase in total acidity and/or aroma improvement. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the use of a non-Saccharomyces starter (Lachancea thermotolerans) on the chemical and sensory properties of wines obtained by the the fermentation of two autochthonous Apulian grape cultivars, namely Bombino nero and Minutolo, as compared to the traditional Saccharomyces cerevisiae-driven fermentation. Bombino and Minutolo wines fermented with either Lachancea thermotolerans or Saccharomyces cerevisiae were characterized for their oenological parameters, volatile profiles, and sensory properties. Both chemical and sensory properties were affected by the yeast starter. Inoculation of L. thermotolerans increased sensory complexity, with different floral and sweet-like attributes for both cultivars. Bombino nero, a neutral cultivar, showed a clear effect on wine composition, with both an increase in lactic acid and a change in the volatile profile. On the contrary, the impact of L. thermotolerans was partially masked in Minutolo due to the strong primary aroma background of this highly terpenic cultivar. In this work, we evidenced a notable cultivar × yeast interaction, showing how generalizations of the effects of non-Saccharomyces yeasts on vinification are difficult to achieve, as they show a cultivar-specific outcome.

Quality Characteristics and Consumer Acceptance of High-Moisture Mozzarella Obtained from Heat-Treated Goat Milk.

High-moisture mozzarella is a pasta filata cheese manufactured from cow or buffalo milk that has spread all over the world. Its manufacturing from the milk of small ruminants (goat and sheep) has been recently proposed to innovate this ailing sector. Previously, a protocol was reported for making goat mozzarella from unpasteurized milk but, according to legislation, the microbiological safety of raw milk fresh cheeses is not guaranteed. In the present research, two new protocols were tested for producing mozzarella from pasteurized milk prepared by two different low-temperature long-time treatments (67 °C or 63 °C × 30 min). The obtained cheeses were subjected to physical-chemical and microbiological analyses and to consumer testing. The results showed that the heat treatments caused longer coagulation times than those reported in the literature, despite pre-acidification (at pH 5.93 or 6.35) having been performed to counterbalance the expected worsening of the coagulation aptitude. The obtained products showed differences in the chemical composition, texture, proteolysis, and lipolysis. Both pasteurization and pre-acidification played a role in determining these variations. Consumer testing indicated that mozzarella obtained from milk heated at the lower temperature and coagulated at a higher pH reached a good level of appreciation (62%).