Origanum vulgare extract as a natural additive in fresh cheese

Abstract

Oregano (Origanum vulgare) is a spice that has in its extracts and essential oils biological activities of interest, such as antimicrobial and antioxidant. These qualities are in line with the increased interest in natural alternatives for preserving foods such as fresh cheese due to its short shelf life. The objective of this research was to evaluate the acceptance, antibacterial and antioxidant activity of the hydroalcoholic extract of O. vulgare incorporated in fresh cheese during cold storage. For this, cheeses were produced with different concentrations of extract (0, 0.5, 1 and 3 g of extract/kg). Acceptance was assessed using a nine-point hedonic scale. The presence of Salmonella was investigated and the enumeration of coagulasepositive staphylococci, mesophilic, psychrotrophic and thermotolerant coliforms was performed in the samples. The antioxidant activity was evaluated in vitro (DPPH and FRAP assays) and directly in the food (measuring the malondialdehyde content). The data revealed a good acceptance of all cheeses regardless of the oregano concentration (mean 7.0 to 7.7). The addition of 0.3 g of oregano extract/kg of cheese promoted the inhibition of thermotolerant coliforms during the storage period. Antioxidant activity was demonstrated in vitro but not verified in the cheese. Foods have a complex composition, and the concentration and proportion of different constituents may have influenced the biological actions of the extract. Thus, further research becomes necessary, with variation in storage time and concentrations to know the action of this extract directly in the food model.

Production of Acid and Rennet-Coagulated Cheese Enriched by Olive (Olea europaea L.) Leaf Extract—Determining the Optimal Point of Supplementation and Its Effects on Curd Characteristics

“…In general, it was found that the addition of OLE significantly (p < 0.0001) increased the TP in all cheese samples as well as in the remaining whey, regardless of the coagulation method (p > 0.05). The obtained results are consistent with previously published data [8,[42][43][44][45]. The increase in TP corresponds to the increase in the effective concentration of the added OLE, except in the sample EM 25, where the TP was the highest, probably due to the variations in the dewatering process.…”

Origanum Vulgare Essential Oil and Carvacrol: Natural Alternatives Against Resistant Bacteria

“…Another widely studied potential of EOOV is its role as a preservative in animal products, especially cheeses (KIM; MARSHALL; WEI, 1995;GULLUCE et al, 2012;GURDIAN et al, 2017;BEDOYA-SERNA et al, 2018;KHORSHIDIAN et al, 2018;SANTOS et al, 2022). However, there are limitations in the use of this essential oil in the food industry because essential oils (EO) can change the organoleptic characteristics of the product and the constituents of the food can interact with the oil, thus causing an increase in the concentration needed to achieve the effect desired (TAJKARIMI; IBRAHIM; CLIVER, 2010; HYLDGAARD; MYGIND; MEYER, 2012).…”