Manufacture of probiotic Minas Frescal cheese with Lactobacillus casei Zhang.

In this study, the addition of Lactobacillus casei Zhang in the manufacture of Minas Frescal cheese was investigated. Minas Frescal cheeses supplemented with probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus casei Zhang) were produced by enzymatic coagulation and direct acidification and were subjected to physicochemical (pH, proteolysis, lactic acid, and acetic acid), microbiological (probiotic and lactic bacteria counts), and rheological analyses (uniaxial compression and creep test), instrumental color determination (luminosity, yellow intensity, and red intensity) and sensory acceptance test. The addition of L. casei Zhang resulted in low pH values and high proteolysis indexes during storage (from 5.38 to 4.94 and 0.470 to 0.702, respectively). Additionally, the cheese protocol was not a hurdle for growth of L. casei Zhang, as the population reached 8.16 and 9.02 log cfu/g by means of the direct acidification and enzymatic coagulation protocol, respectively, after 21 d of refrigerated storage. The rheology data showed that all samples presented a more viscous-like behavior, which rigidity tended to decrease during storage and lower luminosity values were also observed. Increased consumer acceptance was observed for the control sample produced by direct acidification (7.8), whereas the cheeses containing L. casei Zhang presented lower values for all sensory attributes, especially flavor and overall liking (5.37 and 4.61 for enzymatic coagulation and 5.57 and 4.72 for direct acidification, respectively). Overall, the addition of L. casei Zhang led to changes in all parameters and affected negatively the sensory acceptance. The optimization of L. casei Zhang dosage during the manufacturing of probiotic Minas Frescal cheese should be performed.

Physicochemical, microbiological and spoilage analysis of probiotic processed cheese analogues with reduced emulsifying salts during refrigerated storage.

Microbial quality of low-salt processed cheeses supplemented with Bacillus coagulans spores (10(7)-10(8) CFU/g) relying on their physicochemical characteristics during 60 day-cold storage was evaluated. A reduction in moisture content, water activity and pH value and a significant enhancement in proteolytic index of control and probiotic samples were obtained by prolonging storage time. Survival rate of the probiotic cells significantly decreased up to day 30, while total count of the viable cells increased by increasing storage time. A 20 and 67 % increase in total counts of coliforms and mold-yeast of the control sample were respectively observed after 60 days of cold storage. A considerable decrease in the total counts of coliforms and mold-yeast was also found in the processed cheeses containing probiotic supplement. According to the macroscopic and sensory assessment, off-odors and off-flavors in the control sample were diagnosed after day 1 of cold-storage. Noticeably, the resistance to spoilage was more prominent in samples containing the probiotic cells.

Survival of Bifidobacterium longum and its effect on physicochemical properties and sensorial attributes of white brined cheese.

Survival of the probiotic adjunct culture Bifidobacterium longum and cheese starters during ripening of white brined cheese, effect of the probiotic culture on physicochemical properties and sensorial attributes of cheeses were investigated throughout 90 d of ripening. Bifidobacterium longum were able to survive at higher levels (>10(7 )cfu/g cheese) than the therapeutic minimum (10(6)-10(7 )cfu/g cheese) after 90 d and did not have any negative effect on the survival of Streptococcus spp. (including common cheese starters). Incorporation of the probiotic adjunct into white brined cheese and high levels of their survival rates during ripening had an insignificant effect on the composition of cheeses. Results indicated that white brined cheese is a suitable food matrix for the delivery of B. longum used in this study, and white brined cheeses with B. longum may be considered as a probiotic dairy product.

Comparison of the targeted metabolomics and nutritional quality indices of the probiotic cheese enriched with microalgae.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the influence of mixed L. acidophilus LA-5 and enrichment with microalgae (C. vulgaris and A. platensis) on metabolomic formation in a brined cheese matrix. Microbiological, compositional, and metabolomic characterization were investigated during the ripening. It was found that the nutritional quality indices of the samples were based on amino acid and fatty acid characterization. Fifty-six metabolomics including fatty acids, amino acids, organic acids, minerals, and vitamins were detected using the HPLC-DAD, GC-MS, and ICP-OES-based methods. The results indicated that the enrichment with probiotic strain and microalgae led to an increase in the nutritional quality indices such as EAAI, NI, BV, MUFA/SFA, h/H, and DFA. The chemometric analysis (e.g. HCA and PCA) presented the variance between the cheese samples based on their attributes. The identification of cheese metabolomics throughout the ripening could be used for a better understanding of the functional ingredients-cheese matrix relationships and as a directive approach for novel dairy products in other metabolomic-related studies.

Antioxidant Peptides Derived from Cheese Products via Single and Mixed Lactobacillus Strain Fermentation.

Probiotics are used in cheese fermentation to endow the product with unique functional properties, such as enhanced flavor and aroma development through proteolysis and lipolysis. In this study, two probiotic Lactobacillus strains, Lactobacillus plantarum A3 and Lactobacillus reuteri WQY-1, were selected to develop new probiotic cheeses in the form of single- and mixed-strain starters. The results demonstrated that the L. plantarum A3 single-strain group and the L. plantarum A3/L. reuteri WQY-1 mixed fermentation group exhibited superior product performance, particularly the release of functional hydrolysates during cheese ripening. Furthermore, Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis revealed 26 unique antioxidant peptides in the L. plantarum A3 single-strain group and 53 in the L. plantarum A3/L. reuteri WQY-1 mixed fermentation group. Among these, CMENSAEPEQSLACQCL (ß-lactoglobulin), CMENSAEPEQSLVCQCL (ß-lactoglobulin), and IQYVLSR (κ-casein) have been found to possess potential antioxidant properties both in vitro and in vivo. This confirmed that milk-derived protein peptides in cheese products exhibit potential antioxidant functions through the hydrolysis of probiotic strains.

The effect of probiotic cheese consumption on inflammatory and anti-inflammatory markers, disease severity, and symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: study protocol for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: In recent decades, several studies have shown changes in the intestinal microflora among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Therapeutic measures using probiotics have shown favorable effects on the recovery of these patients. However, most studies have used probiotic supplements. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of probiotic cheese consumption on inflammatory and anti-inflammatory factors, disease severity, and symptoms in these patients. METHODS: This study is a randomized, double-blind clinical trial, in which forty patients with mild to moderate severity of RA will be randomly allocated to receive either 30 g/day probiotic cheese (n = 20) or only low-salt and low-fat cheese without any added probiotic (n = 20) for 12 weeks. Assessment of anthropometric measures and biochemical indicators, including serum concentrations of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-10 (IL-10), will be done at the study baseline and end of the trial. In addition, disease severity and disability will be assessed by DAS-28 and the HAQ-DI questionnaire, respectively. DISCUSSION: Diet is the leading environmental factor affecting the gut microbiota. A prebiotic-rich diet and probiotics might be beneficial in this regard. To the best of our knowledge, the effect of probiotic supplements on inflammation in these patients has widely been assessed; however, there is only one study that examined the effect of probiotic-containing food in these patients. Further studies are needed to investigate the effect of probiotic-containing foods on inflammatory markers and symptoms in patients with RA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials IRCT20201120049449N1 . Registered on 14 February 2021.

Influence of Autochthonous Putative Probiotic Cultures on Microbiota, Lipid Components and Metabolome of Caciotta Cheese.

The present study was undertaken to produce probiotic Caciotta cheeses from pasteurized ewes' milk by using different combinations of autochthonous microbial cultures, containing putative probiotic strains, and evaluate their influence on gross composition, lipid components, sensory properties and microbiological and metabolite profiles of the cheeses throughout ripening process. A control cheese was produced using commercial starter cultures. The hydrophilic molecular pools (mainly composed by amino acids, organic acids, and carbohydrates) were characterized by means of 1H NMR spectroscopy, while the cholesterol, α-tocopherol and fatty acid composition by HPLC-DAD/ELSD techniques. Conventional culturing and a PCR-DGGE approach using total cheese DNA extracts were used to analyze cheese microbiota and monitor the presence and viability of starters and probiotic strains. Our findings showed no marked differences for gross composition, total lipids, total cholesterol, and fatty acid levels among all cheeses during ripening. Differently, the multivariate statistical analysis of NMR data highlighted significant variations in the cheese' profiles both in terms of maturation time and strains combination. The use of autochthonous cultures and adjunct probiotic strains did not adversely affect acceptability of the cheeses. Higher levels of lactobacilli (viability of 108-109 cfu/g of cheese) were detected in cheeses made with the addition of probiotic autochthonous strains with respect to control cheese during the whole ripening period, suggesting the adequacy of Caciotta cheese as a carrier for probiotic bacteria delivery.

Investigations on Metabolic Changes in Beagle Dogs Fed Probiotic Queso Blanco Cheese and Identification of Candidate Probiotic Fecal Biomarkers Using Metabolomics Approaches.

Intake of probiotic cheese improves the intestinal health of humans and animals. However, metabolic changes in the intestines of dogs in response to the ingestion of probiotic cheese have not been evaluated. Thus, we aimed to determine the metabolic changes in healthy beagle dogs fed queso blanco cheese with added Lactobacillus reuteri KACC 92293 and Bifidobacterium longum KACC 91563 (QCLB) and to identify potential fecal biomarkers to distinguish the metabolic changes based on intake of probiotic cheese through metabolomics approaches. The dogs were randomly divided into three groups and fed a regular diet without any cheese (control), a diet with queso blanco cheese (QC), or one with QCLB for eight weeks. The concentrations of acetic, propionic, and 4-aminobutyric acids were increased in the QCLB group compared to those in the control group. Additionally, higher levels of propionic acid and lower levels of xylose were found in the QCLB group compared to those in the QC group. This is the first report on the identification of metabolic changes in beagle dogs fed queso blanco cheese with added L. reuteri KACC 92293 and B. longum KACC 91563. We also found that metabolomics approaches can be useful for identifying potential fecal markers in dogs fed probiotic cheese.

Autochthonous and Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria Employed for Production of "Advanced Traditional Cheeses".

Microbial characterization of two Italian traditional cheeses, Giuncata and Caciotta Leccese, was carried out, with the aim to isolate autochthonous bacterial strains to be used as starters to improve and standardize the quality of these cheeses. More than 400 bacterial isolates were found, using PCR-based identification, to belong to 12 species of the Streptococcus, Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, and Leuconostoc genera. The dominant strains were screened for antagonistic activity against pathogenic and spoilage bacteria and exopolysaccharide production, acidification, and proteolytic activity. Since Streptococcus macedonicus was found to be the most prevalent lactic acid bacteria species present in milk and in both types of cheese, the best performing strain of this species was successfully used, alone or in combination with a selected autochthonous Lactococcus lactis strain, in pilot-scale productions of Giuncata and Caciotta Leccese cheeses, respectively. The combined inoculums of selected autochthonous strains positively influenced the sensory characteristics of both Giuncata and Caciotta cheeses. Finally, the selected autochthonous cultures were enriched with a potentially probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain and successfully used in pilot-scale productions of these traditional cheeses. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the use of an autochthonous S. macedonicus strain as a starter for the production of cheeses with added probiotics. In addition, the identification of the probiotic strain in the feces of healthy volunteers fed with the advanced traditional cheese proved its effectiveness as a carrier for the delivery of probiotics to the human body.

Physico-chemical changes during storage and sensory acceptance of low sodium probiotic Minas cheese added with arginine.

The partial substitution of sodium chloride by potassium chloride (0%, 25%, and 50%) and addition of arginine (1% w/w) in probiotic Minas cheese was investigated. Microbiological (Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus acidophilus counts, and functionality of the prebiotics L. acidophilus), physicochemical (pH, proteolysis, organic acids, fatty acids, and volatile profiles), rheological (uniaxial compression) and sensory (hedonic test with 100 consumers) characterizations were carried out. The sodium reduction and addition of arginine did not constitute a hurdle to lactic and probiotic bacteria survival, with presented values of about 9 log CFU/g, ranging from 7.11 to 9.21 log CFU/g, respectively. In addition, lower pH values, higher proteolysis, and a decrease in toughness, elasticity and firmness were observed, as well as an increase in lactic, citric, and acetic acid contents. In contrast, no change was observed in the fatty acid profile. With respect to the sensory acceptance, the probiotic low-sodium Minas cheese presented scores above 6.00 (liked slightly) for the attributes flavor and overall acceptance. The addition of arginine can be a potential alternative for the development of probiotic dairy products with reduced sodium content.