Potential of High Pressure Homogenization to Enhance Functional and

PATRIGNANI F.; TABANELLI, G.; BURNS, P.; VINDEROLA, G.; REINHEIMER, J.; FAUSTO GARDINI; LANCIOTTI, R.

Congreso; Food Micro; 2012

Patrignani F*., Tabanelli G., Burns P., Vinderola G., Reinheimer J.A., Gardini F., Lanciotti R. High Pressure Homogenization (HPH) is one of the most promising alternatives to thermal treatment for food preservation. Moreover, recent papers underlined its effectiveness, when applied at sub-lethal levels, both to change Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) proteolytic patterns and to positively modify their in vitro functional properties, without detrimental effects on their viability. In this perspective, principal aim of this work was to assess the potential of a HPH treatment, at 50 MPa, on the performances of probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei A13, when co-inoculated with the traditional starters, for the production of Caciotta cheese. For this purpose, three types of Caciotta were performed according to the cheesemaking protocols of a local dairy farm: cheese type 1 (control, manufactured with the traditional starters), cheese type 2 (Caciotta added of not-HPH treated Lactobacillus paracasei A13), cheese type 3 (Caciotta added of HPH-treated Lactobacillus paracasei A13). The probiotic strain was added five minutes before the addition of rennet. The three types of Caciotta were stored at 4°C. Viability of starters and Lb. paracasei A13 as well as cheese proteolytic and lipolytic patterns were monitored after cheesemaking and after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 weeks of ripening. Physicochemical and organoleptic analyses, at the same time of storage, were carried out. To evaluate the effect of the applied sub-lethal HPH treatment on Lb paracasei A13 functional performances, when used as co-starter, its gastric acid resistance was monitored over ripening both in cheese type 2 and 3. Results obtained showed that Lb. paracasei A13 maintained high levels of viability (9.2 and 9.1 log cfu/g) up to the 14th day of storage in both the Caciotta types. The organoleptic properties evaluated and the SDS-page profiles underlined a faster proteolysis in Caciotta cheese containing HPH-treated Lb. paracasei A13 with respect to the cheese type 1 and 2. Moreover, the Lb. paracasei  showed an highest gastric resistance in Caciotta cheese when previously treated at 50 MPa. Data obtained showed that HPH, applied to the probiotic strain, contributed to the modification of the sensorial features of Caciotta cheese, although maintaining high strain viability and resistance to gastric stress conditions in the product.