TY - JOUR T1 - Adjunct Culture of Non-Starter Lactic Acid Bacteria for the Production of Provola Dei Nebrodi PDO Cheese: In Vitro Screening and Pilot-Scale Cheese-Making JF - Microorganisms Y1 - 2021 A1 - Cinzia Lucia Randazzo A1 - Luigi Liotta A1 - Maria De Angelis A1 - Giuseppe Celano A1 - Nunziatina Russo A1 - Koenraad Van Hoorde A1 - Vincenzo Chiofalo A1 - Alessandra Pino A1 - Cinzia Caggia KW - aminopeptidase activity KW - autochthonous strains KW - flavour formation KW - traditional cheese KW - volatile organic compounds AB -

The present study aimed at selecting non-starter lactic acid bacteria strains, with desirable technological and enzymatic activities, suitable as adjunct culture for the Provola dei Nebrodi cheese production. One hundred and twenty-one lactic acid bacteria, isolated from traditional Provola dei Nebrodi cheese samples, were genetically identified by Rep-PCR genomic fingerprinting, using the (GTG)5-primer, and by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Twenty-seven strains, included in the qualified presumption of safety (QPS) list, were tested for technological and proteinase/peptidase activities. Results showed that technological features and flavour formation abilities were strain-dependent. Among the selected strains, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei PN 76 and Limosilactobacillus fermentum PN 101 were used as adjunct culture in pilot-scale cheese-making trials. Data revealed that adjunct cultures positively affected the flavour development of cheese, starting from 30 days of ripening, contributing to the formation of key flavour compounds. The volatile organic compound profiles of experimental cheeses was significantly different from those generated in the controls, suggesting that the selected adjunct strains were able to accelerate the flavour development, contributing to a unique profile of Provola dei Nebrodi cheese.

VL - 9 CP - 1 M3 - 10.3390/microorganisms9010179 ER -