Contribution of Lactic Acid Bacteria Esterases to the Release of Fatty Acids in Miniature Ewe’s Milk Cheese Models

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 2009-02, Vol.57 (3), p.1036-1044
• Main Authors: Abeijón Mukdsi, María C, Medina, Roxana B, Katz, Marta B, Pivotto, Rodolfo, Gatti, Patricia, González, Silvia N
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Argentina; Biological and medical sciences; Cheese - analysis; Cheese - microbiology; cheese ripening; cheese starters; cheeses; enzyme activity; esterases; Esterases - metabolism; ewe milk; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified - analysis; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified - metabolism; Fatty Acids, Volatile - analysis; Food Chemistry/Biochemistry; Food industries; Food microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; lactic acid bacteria; Lactobacillus - enzymology; Lipolysis; Milk - microbiology; Milk and cheese industries. Ice creams; miniature ewes; multiple strain starters; Sheep; short chain fatty acids; volatile fatty acids
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf8026606

The present work evaluates the contribution of esterase acivities of lactic acid bacteria isolated from ewe’s dairy products to the release of free fatty acids (FFA) in ewe’s milk cheese models. At 60 days of ripening, single-strain cheeses Ov 409 and Ov 421 showed high levels of total FFA (3075 and 2494.62 mg/kg, respectively). Cheeses Ov 227−Ov 409 and Ov 421−Ov 409 presented high percentages of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). The highest levels of volatile free fatty acids (VFFA) were detected in cheeses Ov 409, Ov 421−Ov 409, and Ov 421−Ov 227. Studies on esterase activities showed that these strains hydrolyzed α-naphthyl derivatives of fatty acids from C2 to C6, mainly associated with the wall-membrane fraction. The results showed that the strains studied contributed to the release of FFA during ripening of ewe’s milk cheese models. The increase of SCFA throughout ripening involves the action of esterases of starter strains.