Determination of antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of Herby cheese

Abstract

In this research, the changes in total phenolics, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities during the ripening of Herby cheese which was produced from sheep milk and Sirmo (Allium vineale L.), Mendi (Chaerophyllum macropodum Boiss.), and Siyabo (Ferula rigidula DC.) herbs, were investigated. The total phenolic concentration (TPC), DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), and TEAC (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) values of Herby cheese samples ripened in vacuum packaging were found higher than that of the samples ripened in brine. The herby cheese extracts were prepared using methanol, ethanol, and acetone solvents. The highest TPC, DPPH, and TEAC values were obtained in the samples extracted with methanol which was followed by ethanol and acetone. These three herbs added to Herby cheese increased the TPC and antioxidant activity of cheese. The antimicrobial effect of Herby cheese was determined using seven different microorganisms using well diffusion technique and the extracts did not have any antimicrobial effect against used microorganisms. Practical applications Herby cheese is a popular traditional dairy product manufactured from sheep's and cow's milk. Approximately, 12 kinds of herbs are used for the production of herby cheese in the eastern region of Turkey. In this study, herbs increased the TPC and antioxidant activity of cheese and methanol showed a better performance in the extraction of antioxidants from cheeses compared to other solvents. To sum up, our study proves the effectiveness of using different herbs (Sirmo, Mendi, and Siyabo) on the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of herby cheese.