Effect of partial or total substitution of bovine for caprine milk on the compositional, volatile, non-volatile and sensory characteristics of semi-hard cheeses

The quest for Homer's moly: exploring the potential of an early ethnobotanical complex

The Homeric plant moly is a mysterious herb mentioned in Book 10 of the Odyssey. In the early 1980s, a pharmacological thesis to identify the plant was put forward for the first time, regarding the snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis L.) as candidate species. The proposal was inspired by the snowdrop's acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-inhibiting properties and its alleged morphological reminiscence to other plants called moly by ancient Greek herbalists. Here, we draw from a compilation of literature from various disciplines, together with an understanding of the Homeric epic as a repository of information based on oral traditions, to (i) show that the assimilation of Homer's moly to Galanthus nivalis is, at the very least, questionable and (ii) frame and support a new synthesis of the pharmacological thesis. We suggest that the uncertainty that revolves around the identity of Homer's moly can be tied to an unnamed phylogenetic clade of closely related Mediterranean native species with AChE-inhibiting properties. Further, we speculate that Homer's moly might represent an early record of an ethnobotanical complex, a sort of cultural taxon resulting from the cognitive crossbreeding of closely related taxonomic species that could have been interchangeably used due to their rough resemblance and common AChE-inhibiting properties. Such cultural taxon would have referred to the phytonym moly by the centuries-old oral traditions that ultimately crystallized in the poem. We also venture that sea daffodils (Pancratium spp.) could have greatly contributed to shaping the botanical archetype in the myth as we know it today.

Application of Calcium Citrate in the Manufacture of Acid Rennet Cheese Produced from High-Heat-Treated Goat’s Milk from Spring and Autumn Season

The stability of milk proteins is affected by changes in the pH value of milk, the heating temperature, and the addition of calcium compounds or chelating agents, which can cause alterations in calcium distribution. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential of the use of calcium citrate to manufacture fresh acid rennet cheese from high-temperature-pasteurized goat’s milk (90 °C, 15 s) from the spring and autumn season and the effect of the calcium dose used on the physicochemical and organoleptic properties of the cheese. Autumn milk was found to be a richer source of total solids, confirming the effect of the production season on milk quality. The applied doses of calcium did not cause the denaturation of goat milk proteins and allowed pasteurization to take place at 90 °C for 15 s. The addition of calcium citrate resulted in a significant increase in the pH value of milk and cheese compared to the control sample. Adding 15 and 20 mg of Ca 100 g⁻¹ to milk as citrate had the most beneficial effect on increasing protein retention in cheese in both seasons, showing a rise from 1.33% to 2.40%. The production season significantly influenced the cheese yield. The control goat cheese from the autumn season showed a 6.85% higher yield compared to the spring cheese. An increase in cheese yield was also observed as the calcium dose of milk increased. The content of micro- and microelements in cheese was affected by the production season. The addition of calcium citrate to milk resulted in a significant increase in the calcium content of cheese—from 120.83 to 147.45 mg 100 g⁻¹ in the spring season and from 130.66 to 151.21 mg 100 g⁻¹ in the autumn season. Increasing the dose of calcium increased the hardness of cheese samples by 1.37 N in the spring and 0.90 N in the autumn. The organoleptic evaluation showed that adding calcium to milk did not significantly affect the organoleptic characteristics of goat cheese.

Effect of Calcium Compound Type and Dosage on the Properties of Acid Rennet Goat's Milk Gels

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of adding calcium compounds to processed goat's milk, and on the properties of acid rennet goat's milk gels, which are a middle product obtained in the manufacture of acid rennet cheese. The properties of the gels directly affect the quality of acid rennet cheeses. The analysis of raw goat's milk was carried out, then acid rennet gels were produced with the addition of six different calcium compounds (chloride, citrate, bisglycinate, gluconate, lactate, and carbonate). The dynamics of milk fermentation were performed by monitoring the pH value of milk during acidification. The pH, syneresis, color, and texture profile were determined in the formulated acid rennet gels. An organoleptic evaluation was also performed. The study demonstrated that, not only calcium chloride, but also calcium citrate, gluconate, lactate, bisglycinate, and calcium carbonate could be used in the production of goat's milk acid rennet gels, or the middle product in the manufacture of acid rennet curd cheese from goat's milk. Notably, the addition of citrate, bisglycinate, and calcium carbonate in doses of 20 mg Ca 100 g-1 most effectively reduced syneresis compared to the control sample by 4.76% (citrate), 7.85% (bisglycinate), and 10.28% (carbonate). The hardness of the control gels ranged from 2.35 N to 2.99 N. The addition of chloride, citrate, gluconate, lactate, and calcium carbonate to the milk improved the acid rennet gel's hardness. The addition of 20 mg Ca 100 g-1 as gluconate increased the hardness the most (3.61 N). When increasing the calcium dosage in the form of all compounds, there was a tendency to increase the gel's springiness. The addition of chloride, citrate, and bisglycinate to milk did not result in a darkening of the gel's color. The addition of calcium compounds mostly reduced the intensity of goatish taste and odor. Calcium gluconate, in particular, reduced the goatish taste the most, a taste which is not always acceptable by the consumers.

The Effect of Mixing Milk of Different Species on Chemical, Physicochemical, and Sensory Features of Cheeses: A Review

The yield and quality of cheese are associated with the composition, physicochemical, sensory, rheological, and microbiological properties of milk and with the technology applied to the milk before and/or during cheese processing. This review describes the most important research on cheeses obtained from processing mixtures of different milk species and discusses the effect of milk mixtures (i.e., species and mixture ratios) on composition, physicochemical, sensory, rheological, and microbiological properties of cheeses. More specifically, the present review paper will gather and focus only on studies that have provided a clear comparison between cheeses produced from a mixture of two milk species to cheeses produced from only one species.

Optimization of pH, temperature and CaCl2 concentrations for Ricotta cheese production from Buffalo cheese whey using Response Surface Methodology

The recovery of milk constituents from cheese whey is affected by various processing conditions followed during production of Ricotta cheese. The objective of the present investigation was to optimize the temperature (60-90 °C), pH (3-7) and CaCl2 concentration (2·0-6·0 mm) for maximum yield/recovery of milk constituents. The research work was carried out in two phases. In 1st phase, the influence of these processing conditions was evaluated through 20 experiments formulated by central composite design (CCD) keeping the yield as response factor. The results obtained from these experiments were used to optimize processing conditions for maximum yield using response surface methodology (RSM). The three best combinations of processing conditions (90 °C, pH 7, CaCl2 6 mm), (100 °C, pH 5, CaCl2 4 mm) and (75 °C, pH 8·4, CaCl2 4 mm) were exploited in the next phase for Ricotta cheese production from a mixture of Buffalo cheese whey and skim milk (9 : 1) to determine the influence of optimized conditions on the cheese composition. Ricotta cheeses were analyzed for various physicochemical (moisture, fat, protein, lactose, total solids, pH and acidity indicated) parameters during storage of 60 d at 4 ± 2 °C after every 15 d interval. Ricotta cheese prepared at 90 °C, pH 7 and CaCl2 6 mm exhibited the highest cheese yield, proteins and total solids, while high fat content was recorded for cheese processed at 100 °C, pH 5 and 4 mm CaCl2 concentration. A significant storage-related increase in acidity and NPN was recorded for all cheese samples.

Innovative Caciocavallo cheeses made from a mixture of cow milk with ewe or goat milk

This study assessed and compared the physicochemical, microbiological, and sensorial characteristics of Caciocavallo cheeses, made from cow milk and a mixture of cow with ewe or goat milk, during ripening. Different cheese-making trials were carried out on an industrial scale following the standard procedure of pasta filata cheeses, with some modifications. The percentage of the different added milk to cow milk influenced compositional and nutritional characteristics of the innovative products, leading to a satisfactory microbiological and sensorial quality.

Influence of autochthonous adjunct cultures on ripening parameters of Argentinean goat's milk cheeses

BACKGROUND

Argentinean semi-hard goat's cheeses manufactured with and without the addition of autochthonous adjunct cultures of Lactobacillus plantarum ETC17, Lactobacillus rhamnosus ETC14 and Enterococcus faecium ETC3 were analysed to evaluate the effect of these strains on ripening parameters.

RESULTS

Gross composition was similar among cheeses. Microbiological analysis indicated that lactic acid bacteria added to cheeses reached high levels. None of the strains assayed affected the primary proteolysis. Overall, E. faecium had a clearer effect on the peptide and lipolysis profiles of cheeses. Analysis of the volatile fraction of cheeses indicated that the levels of several compounds involved in the overall flavour of goat's cheeses were affected by the presence of E. faecium. This could explain the differences detected in the global perception of cheeses made with this strain compared with control cheeses.

CONCLUSION

The present work represents a first contribution to knowledge of the ripening process of Argentinean goat's cheeses made with the addition of autochthonous adjunct cultures. The results suggest that E. faecium ETC3 showed a significant effect during ripening, which was reflected both in the profiles of proteolysis, lipolysis and volatile compounds and in the global sensory perception of cheeses.