Investigation of the physicochemical, antioxidant, rheological, and sensory properties of ricotta cheese enriched with free and nano‐encapsulated broccoli sprout extract

Abstract

This study aimed to produce the functional ricotta cheese using broccoli sprouts extract (BSE) and to evaluate its physicochemical, antioxidant, rheological, and sensory properties. The BSE nano‐liposome was nano‐encapsulated into basil seed gum (BSG) and was incorporated into the ricotta cheese formulation in two forms of free and nano‐capsules in two levels of 3% and 5% w/w. The measurements were conducted during a 15‐day storage period at 4–6°C. The results showed that the titratable acidity, hardness, and chewiness of cheeses were increased and the pH, moisture, total phenol content (TPC), and antioxidant activity were decreased (p < .05). With the addition of BSE concentration, the TPC and antioxidant activity increased significantly (p < .05) and applying the nano‐encapsulation method for BSE led to better preservation of bioactive compounds. Based on the rheological results, viscoelastic solid behavior and a weak gel were observed in all cheese samples. The results of sensory evaluation demonstrated that cheeses containing free extract had lower flavor and overall acceptability scores than other samples, which indicates that the nano‐encapsulation covered the undesirable flavor of the BSE. Generally, during the 15‐day cold storage period, the highest sensory acceptance and functional activity were related to the samples containing nano‐encapsulated BSE, especially at the 5% level.

Effect of Microencapsulated Basil Extract on Cream Cheese Quality and Stability

“…According to the results of the sensory analysis, the optimal concentration of MBE in the cream cheese is in the range of 0.6-0.9%, an addition of 0.3% MBE to the cream cheese does not ensure sufficient stability of the product during storage, and when the concentration of MBE increases above 0.9% appears a residual taste of basil even from the first day of storage. These findings are consistent with those of the study by Azarashkan et al [49], in which it was shown that the fortification of ricotta cheese with nano-encapsulated broccoli sprout extract had no significant effect on the texture, color and smell of the cheeses on the first day. And research on the effect of the fortification of white soft cheese white olive polyphenols capsules [19] and ultrafiltered cheese white red beet, broccoli, and spinach leaf phenolic extracts encapsulated by complex coacervation [21] noted that the fortified samples obtained higher overall acceptance compared to the control sample.…”

“…The addition of MBE to the cream cheese did not influence the springiness of the analyzed cream cheese. Similar results were also obtained when fortifying ricotta cheese with nanoencapsulated broccoli sprout extract [49], low-fat cut cheese with nanoemulsion-based edible coatings containing oregano essential oil and mandarin fiber [52] and fresh cheese with microcapsules or nanoemulsions with Opuntiaoligacantha [53].…”

“…Similarly, Weragama et al [3] observed that untreated cream cheese showed lower pH values compared to samples of cream cheeses fortified with dried curry leaves (Murraya koenigii L.) powder during storage. Azarashkan et al [49] reported that the pH value of the samples of ricotta cheese with nano-encapsulated broccoli sprout extract was higher than that of the control. In the study by Balabanova et al [48], the incorporation of pepper extracts encapsulated in Labneh cheese did not show a significant effect on the pH of the samples.…”

The Effect of Aromatic Plant Extracts Encapsulated in Alginate on the Bioactivity, Textural Characteristics and Shelf Life of Yogurt

“…Similar data were also obtained in the case of yogurt samples with the addition of MRE. The slight decrease in pH in yogurt samples, with the addition of microencapsulated plant extracts, occurs as a result of the gradual release of phenolic acids from the extracts, a fact also confirmed by the research carried out by Azarashkan et al [ 63 ].…”

Cereal sprout‐based food products: Industrial application, novel extraction, consumer acceptance, antioxidant potential, sensory evaluation, and health perspective

“…It may be due to amylolytic and proteolytic actions (Alvarez‐Jubete et al., 2010 ; Marti et al., 2018 ; Montemurro et al., 2019 ). Previous studies showed that sprouts play important role in the improvement of physicochemical, antioxidant, rheological, and sensory properties (Azarashkan et al., 2022 ). Figure 2 summarizes industrial applications of cereal sprouts.…”