Short communication: Cheese supplemented with Thymus algeriensis oil, a potential natural food preservative

Abstract

The essential oil of Thymus algeriensis was analyzed as a potential preservative in soft cheese. We developed a novel method to test the preserving properties of essential oil in soft cheese. Contamination incidence of Penicillium aurantiogriseum was absent after 30 d of storage at 4°C with 25 µL of essential oil added. The antimicrobial activity was tested against 8 bacteria and 8 fungi. Thymus algeriensis oil showed inhibitory activity against tested bacteria at 0.03 to 0.09 mg/mL, and bactericidal activity was achieved at 0.05 to 0.15 mg/mL. For antifungal activity, minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged between 0.01 and 0.04 mg/mL and minimum fungicidal concentrations between 0.01 and 0.04 mg/mL. Furthermore, the oil was also screened for antiradical activity using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay. The results showed that the oil was active and achieved half-maximal inhibitory activity at 0.132 mg/mL. We used gas chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry to investigate the volatile compounds from the oil. Carvacrol was identified as the main compound in the oil, represented by 80.9% of the total constituents, followed by p-cymene (7.7%).

Green and Healthier Alternatives to Chemical Additives as Cheese Preservative: Natural Antimicrobials in Active Nanopackaging/Coatings

“…Typhimurium, E. coli , P. aeruginosa , L. monocytogenes , Micrococcus flavus , and B. cereus ), as well as the impressive MIC of 0.01 mg/mL against Aspergillus spp., Trichoderma spp., and Penicillium spp. [ 71 ]. In terms of cheese shelf life, this study found a reduction in Penicillium aurantiogriseum contamination incidence (65% higher than control sample) on sliced soft cheese after 30 days of storage at 4 °C by the use of thyme EO at a concentration of 25 µL [ 71 ].…”

“…[ 71 ]. In terms of cheese shelf life, this study found a reduction in Penicillium aurantiogriseum contamination incidence (65% higher than control sample) on sliced soft cheese after 30 days of storage at 4 °C by the use of thyme EO at a concentration of 25 µL [ 71 ]. Concerning sensory quality, the 15 µL EO improved color and texture parameters but did not stands out in terms of flavor compared to the control cheese [ 71 ].…”

Short communication: Potential use of passion fruit (Passiflora cincinnata) as a biopreservative in the production of coalho cheese, a traditional Brazilian cheese

“…Despite being considered a local product, coalho cheese is consumed in different Brazilian states, and its identity and quality standards have been established by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture. It is characterized Short communication: Potential use of passion fruit (Passiflora cincinnata) as a biopreservative in the production of coalho cheese, a traditional Brazilian cheese as a medium-to high-moisture cheese that must be consumed within 10 d after production (Brasil, 1996(Brasil, , 2001. This cheese is often associated with poor hygienic conditions that can result in rapid spoilage during storage and reduced shelf life (Azevêdo et al, 2014;Pereira et al, 2018).…”

“…This cheese is often associated with poor hygienic conditions that can result in rapid spoilage during storage and reduced shelf life (Azevêdo et al, 2014;Pereira et al, 2018). Previous studies have demonstrated that compounds such as plant extracts or oils can be used as preservatives to enhance cheese quality (Shan et al, 2011;Bukvicki et al, 2018;Khorshidian et al, 2018;Pereira et al, 2018). In this regard, passion fruit could be exploited as an ingredient in coalho cheese production.…”

The antioxidant components of milk and their role in processing, ripening, and storage: Functional food

“…However, in case of full-fat cheese, only clove oil achieved this reduction. The study also showed that thyme oil has no effect on Salmonella in full-fat cheese [191]. Matricaria recutita L. (chamomile) was added into the cottage cheese as a natural antioxidant and to also improve its nutritional value.…”