Abstract
PurposeThe present study was conducted to isolate and screen the potential probiotic strains for incorporation in Mozzarella cheese.MethodsProbiotic cultures were isolated from different randomly purchased yogurt samples and were identified as Lactobacillus sp., Bifidobacteria sp., and Pediococcus sp. after morphological and biochemical characterization. Heat tolerance of isolates was tested at 55 °C and 65 °C to determine the survival of isolates in conditions similar to commercial cheese production. Lactobacillus acidophilus (S2) showed remarkable heat tolerance among all strains and was therefore selected to assess the probiotic potential. It showed good survival at acidic pH values (2–3). Moreover, it also showed > 50% tolerance to bile salt and was resistant to antibiotics, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, gentamycin, and vancomycin and also exhibited anti-microbial activity against Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. Thus, heat-tolerant Lactobacillus acidophilus (S2) isolate was an ideal strain for incorporation in Mozzarella cheese as probiotics. Three types of cheeses viz., cheese A with free cells of Lactobacillus acidophilus (S2), cheese B with encapsulated cells of Lactobacillus acidophilus (S2), and control cheese having no probiotics, were made.ResultMicrobiological analysis of prepared cheese revealed lesser loss of Lactobacillus acidophilus (S2) from encapsulated form (3.41 × 108 CFU/mL) compared to free cells of Lactobacillus acidophilus (S2) (1.10 × 107 CFU/mL). Coliforms were observed in control cheese after 10 days of storage, whereas no coliforms were observed in cheese A and cheese B even after 15 days of storage. Organoleptic properties of cheese A and cheese B were almost the same with an acceptability score of 2.7 ± 0.1 and 2.65 ± 0.1, respectively. Control cheese got the lowest scores after 15 days of storage.ConclusionThe addition of probiotics in cheese not only prolongs the shelf-life of cheese but also increases the organoleptic properties of the cheese, making cheese a good delivery system for probiotics.
Highlights
Probiotic food products are gaining popularity among consumers due to health benefits
The addition of probiotics in cheese prolongs the shelf-life of cheese and increases the organoleptic properties of the cheese, making cheese a good delivery system for probiotics
The development of specific media has been tried by many researches for selective isolation of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), such as MRS agar (De Man et al 1960), MRS clindamycin agar (Lankaputhra and Shah 1996), and LPSM (Bujalance et al 2006)
Summary
Probiotic food products are gaining popularity among consumers due to health benefits. Such foods are nutritionally dense and decrease the risk of different diseases (Mahrous et al 2014). According to FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) “Probiotics are living microorganisms which, when administered at adequate levels (106 to 107 CFU/ g), confer health benefits to the host” (FAO/WHO 2006). Other benefits include improvement in lactose tolerance, Mukhtar et al Annals of Microbiology (2020) 70:56 reduction in serum cholesterol level, enhancement of host’s immunity, and prevention of colon cancerantibioticassociated diarrhea and different allergic diseases (Bai and Ouyang 2006; Falagas et al 2006; Krämer and Bischoff 2006; Sanders et al 2007; O’Flaherty and Klaenhammer 2010; Yerlikaya 2014)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
