Aloe vera gel microcapsules and essential oils of thyme and oregano incorporated in spreadable goat cheese: impact on its microbiological, physicochemical, and sensory characteristics during storage

Carmen R. POP,Valentin A. BÂLTEANU,Cristina A. SEMENIUC,Ancuta M. ROTAR,Delia MICHIU,Mirela A. JIMBOREAN,Dorin ŢIBULCĂ,Liana C. SALANŢĂ,Andrei BORŞA

doi:10.15835/nbha49112001

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop a new assortment of high-quality cream cheese, with a high amount of biologically active compounds, namely a spreadable cheese from goat milk with addition of Aloe vera microcapsules and essential oils of thyme and oregano. The research was focused on the testing and optimization of an appropriate manufacturing recipe for this new product. Two assortments were made: one with Aloe vera microcapsules and thyme essential oil and the other one with Aloe vera microcapsules and oregano essential oil. For each assortment two different concentrations of Aloe vera and essential oils were tested. The obtained products were analysed for organoleptic, physico-chemical (fat, protein, total dry matter, sodium chloride and acidity) and microbiological parameters. In terms of consumer preferences, the cream cheese with 3% microcapsules of Aloe vera gel and 0.018% thyme essential oil was the most appreciated in terms of commercial aspect, consistency, and taste. We concluded that the addition of Aloe vera microcapsules improves the sensory characteristics and leads to an increase nutritional value of the finished product. Also, the addition of essential oils (thyme and oregano) ensured a stable quality during storage.

Highlights

Essential oils (EO) are extracted from aromatic plants containing a variety of natural, biologically active components with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties (Amatiste et al, 2014; Hamedi et al, 2014; Yousefi et al, 2017, Khorshidian et al, 2018)
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of essential oils and microcapsules with Aloe vera incorporation in a spreadable goat cheese product
The results highlighted that the best results, from a nutritional point of view, were obtained for the cheese samples with lower Aloe vera and higher thyme essential oil content

Summary

Introduction

Essential oils (EO) are extracted from aromatic plants containing a variety of natural, biologically active components with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties (Amatiste et al, 2014; Hamedi et al, 2014; Yousefi et al, 2017, Khorshidian et al, 2018). Antimicrobial properties of essential oils against various microorganisms (L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, Aspergillus ochraceus ZMPBF 318, Penicillium spp.) have been reported in various studies (Kotzekidou et al, 2008; Yahyazadeh et al, 2008; Čvek et al, 2010; Jeong et al, 2014). Received in revised form: 09 Feb 2021. From Volume 49, Issue 1, 2021, Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca journal will use article numbers in place of the traditional method of continuous pagination through the volume. The journal will continue to appear quarterly, as before, with four annual numbers

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