EC Nutrition

OThe purpose of this study was to determine the nutritional quality of various soft cheeses based on protein-building amino acid, free amino acid, and fatty acid composition. Buffalo, cow, and goat soft cheeses produced with traditional self-fermentation method from unpasteurized milk were investigated. Significant differences were observed in the amino acid composition of the three cheese types, with goat cheese having the highest amino acid content, followed by cow cheese, and buffalo cheese. The main amino acids found in soft cheeses are glutamic acid, proline, leucine, lysine, and aspartic acid. Goat and cow cheeses showed similar amino acid compositions. Buffalo cheese contained significantly higher amounts of methionine and a lower amount of histidine. Essential amino acids accounted for approximately 40% of the total amino acid content, indicating the high nutritional value of these cheeses. The free amino acid composition varied among cheeses, with gamma-aminobutyric acid, glutamic acid, lysine, proline, and aspartic acid being the main free amino acids. The fatty acid composition also differed, with goat cheese having higher proportions of short-chain fatty acids (caprylic acid, myristic acid), and saturated fatty acid (palmitic acid). Buffalo cheese had higher levels of saturated stearic acid and polyunsaturated linoleic acids, whereas cow cheese had the highest level of monounsaturated oleic acid. All investigated types of soft cheeses have nutritionally valuable compositions in terms of protein-building amino acids, free amino acids, and fatty acids.

 Keywords: Amino Acid; Fatty Acid; Cheese; Nutrition Value; Quality

1. Ahmad S., et al. “Effects of Acidification on Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Buffalo Milk: A Comparison with Cow’s Milk”. Food Chemistry 106 (2008): 11-17.
2. Park YW., et al. “Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Goat and Sheep Milk”. Small Ruminant Research 68 (2007): 88-113.
3. McSweeney PL., et al. “Diversity and Classification of Cheese Varieties: An Overview”. Cheese: Chemistry, Physics and Microbiology: Fourth Edition 1 (2017): 781-808.
4. Tessari P., et al. “Essential Amino Acids: Master Regulators of Nutrition and Environmental Footprint?” Scientific Reports1 (2016): 1-13.
5. Brestenský M., et al. “Dietary Requirements for Proteins and Amino Acids in Human Nutrition”. Current Nutrition and Food Science 15 (2018): 638-645.
6. Filipczak-Fiutak M., et al. “Nutritional Value and Organoleptic Assessment of Traditionally Smoked Cheeses Made from Goat, Sheep and Cow’s Milk”. PLoS One7 (2021): e0254431.
7. Asif AHM., et al. “Fatty Acid and Amino Acid Profiles of Cheese, Butter, and Ghee Made from Buffalo Milk”. Journal of Advanced Veterinary and Animal Research 9 (2022): 144.
8. Almeida CC., et al. “Protein and Amino Acid Profiles of Different Whey Protein Supplements”. Journal of Dietary Supplements 13 (2016): 313-323.
9. Simon Sarkadi L. “Amino Acids and Biogenic Amines as Food Quality Factors”. Pure and Applied Chemistry 91 (2019): 289-300.
10. Zhou L., et al. “A Comparison of Milk Protein, Fat, Lactose, Total Solids and Amino Acid Profiles of Three Different Buffalo Breeds in Guangxi, China”. Ital Journal of Animal Sciences 17 (2018): 873-878.
11. Fox PF and McSweeney PLH. “Cheese: An Overview”. Cheese: Chemistry, Physics and Microbiology: Fourth Edition 1 (2017): 5-21.
12. Dilzer A and Park Y. “Implication of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) in Human Health”. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 52 (2012): 488-513.
13. Hartigh LJ. “Conjugated Linoleic Acid Effects on Cancer, Obesity, and Atherosclerosis: A Review of Pre-Clinical and Human Trials with Current Perspectives”. Nutrients2 (2019): 370.
14. Lehnen TE., et al. “A Review on Effects of Conjugated Linoleic Fatty Acid (CLA) upon Body Composition and Energetic Metabolism”. Journal International Society of Sports Nutrition1 (2015): 1-11.
15. Kumar MauryaA., et al. “A Review on Role of Fish in Human Nutrition with Special Emphasis to Essential Fatty Acid”. International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies2 (2018): 427-430.
16. Paszczyk B and Łuczyńska J. “The Comparison of Fatty Acid Composition and Lipid Quality Indices in Hard Cow, Sheep, and Goat Cheeses”. Foods (2020): 9.
17. Laskaridis K., et al. “Changes in Fatty Acid Profile of Feta Cheese Including Conjugated Linoleic Acid”. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 93 (2013): 2130-2136.
18. Van Nieuwenhove CP., et al. “Fatty acid composition and conjugated linoleic acid content of cow and goat cheeses from northwest Argentina”. Journal of Food Quality 32 (2009): 303-314.
19. Van Nieuwenhove C., et al. “Chemical composition and fatty acid content of buffalo cheese from northwest Argentina: effect on lipid composition of mice tissues”. Journal of Food Lipids 14 (2007): 232-243.
20. Bytyqi H., et al. “A Survey on Traditional Cheese Production and Diversity in Kosovo”. Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science 23 (2017): 42-48.
21. Kjeldahl J. “Neue Methode Zur Bestimmung Des Stickstoffs in Organischen Körpern”. Zeitschrift für Analytische Chemie 22(1883): 366-382.
22. Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme joint FAO/WHO committee of government experts on the code of principles concerning milk and milk products report of the Fifteenth Session food and agriculture organization of the united nations world health organization Rome (2023).
23. Rahayu WP and Kusnandar F. “Stability of Viable Counts of Lactic Acid Bacteria during Storage of Goat Milk Soft Cheese”. Microbiology Indonesia4 (2011): 1.
24. Setyawardani T., et al. “Chemical Characteristics of Goat Cheese with Different Percentages of Mixed Indigenous Probiotic Culture during Ripening”. Media Peternakan Fakultas Peternakan Institut Pertanian Bogor 44 (2017): 55-62.
25. Mustafa WA., et al. “Chemical Composition of the White Cheese Produced at Household Level in Dueim Area, White Nile State, Sudan”. Journal of Food and Nutritional Disorders 2 (2013): 2-5.
26. Owni OAOEl and Hamed OIA. “Effect of Storage Temperature on Weight Loss, Chemical Composition, Microbiological Properties and Sensory Characteristics of White Cheese (Gibna Bayda)”. Research Journal of Agriculture and Biological Sciences 5 (2009): 498-505.
27. Shahein MR., et al. “Evaluation of Soft Cheese Manufactured from Camel and Buffalo Milk”. World Journal of Dairy and Food Sciences 9 (2014): 213-219.
28. Renes E., et al. “Production of Sheep Milk Cheese with High γ-Aminobutyric Acid and Ornithine Concentration and with Reduced Biogenic Amines Level Using Autochthonous Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains”. Introduction to Food Microbiology 78 (2019): 1-10.
29. Saidi V., et al. “Bioactive Characteristics of a Semi-Hard Non-Starter Culture Cheese Made from Raw or Pasteurized Sheep’s Milk”. 3 Biotech 10 (2020): 1-8.
30. Ramos-Ruiz R., et al. “GABA, a Non-Protein Amino Acid Ubiquitous in Food Matrices”. Cogent Food and Agriculture (2018): 4.
31. Gleeson M. “Interrelationship between Physical Activity and Branched-Chain Amino Acids”. Journal of Nutrition 135 (2005): 1591S-1595S.
32. , et al. “Potential Role of Sulfur-Containing Antioxidant Systems in Highly Oxidative Environmen ts”. Molecules 19 (2014): 19376-19389.
33. Pandurangan S., et al. “Differential Response to Sulfur Nutrition of Two Common Bean Genotypes Differing in Storage Protein Composition”. Frontiers in Plant Science 16 (2015): 126655.
34. Pajor F., et al. “The Effect of Grazing on the Composition of Conjugated Linoleic Acid Isomers and Other Fatty Acids of Milk and Cheese in Goats”. Journal of Animal and Feed Science 18 (2009): 429-439.
35. Prandini A., et al. “Different Level of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) in Dairy Products from Italy”. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 20 (2007): 472-479.