Lipolysis and metabolism of fatty acids in cheese

THIERRY A ; COLLINS Y F; ABEIJON MUKDSI, MARIA CLAUDIA; MCSWEENEY PLH; WILKINSON MG; SPINNLER HE

Cheese: Chemistry, Physics and Microbiology (4th edition)

Academic Press

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2017; p. 423 - 444

Lipolysis and FA catabolism are key ripening processes, which generate flavor compounds considered important in most varieties of ripened cheeses. Even in cheese with low levels of lipolysis, FFAs are generally perceived and can be responsible for either the expected balance flavor or for flavor defects, depending on the FFA concentration and cheese variety. Despite the importance of lipolysis, its mechanisms have been less studied than those of proteolysis, and require further work to characterize the enzymes involved and the main factors influencing their activity. Genome sequencing offers new insight on the potential esterases present in dairy-related microorganisms, but their specific activity on milk fat has to be investigated using biochemical approaches. Research about the pathways of FA catabolism, until now mainly focused on the activity of molds, would also be useful for a better understanding and control of the formation of FFA-derived flavor compounds in cheese.