Enhancing the microbial dynamics, volatile profile, and ripening efficiency of white brined cheese using Lactiplantibacillus plantarum L33 as a probiotic co-culture

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum L33 was used as a co-culture in the production of white brined cheese. The study compared control samples (without co-culture) and those including the co-culture at 1, 15 and 30 days of ripening, assessing various factors such as pH, moisture content, protein and fat levels, proteolysis intensity, organic acids, aromatic compounds, bacterial dynamics, hardness, and sensory evaluations. The results indicated that the cheese samples containing Lpb. plantarum L33 exhibited a higher moisture content (15 %) and lower hardness (11 %) compared to the control sample, while fat and protein levels remained consistent across both samples. Moreover, the co-culture sample had higher levels of lactic acid, acetic acid, and aromatic compounds such as acetone and diacetyl. Analysis of bacterial dynamics revealed that the presence of co-culture and storage time significantly enhanced the relative abundance of bacteria in the samples containing the co-culture, with the highest relative abundance found for Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus (107.27), followed by Lpb. plantarum L33 (25.51), Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis (7.46), and Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris (0.74). The co-culture sample also received favorable sensory scores for overall acceptance. The findings suggest that a strain with moderate proteolytic activity can effectively reduce the ripening time of cheese by enhancing proteolysis intensity, thereby accelerating the production of aromatic compounds.