Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of Whey Cheese with Pine Nuts

This study aimed to develop a value-added whey cheese through addition of pine nuts. Therefore, different concentrations of pine nuts [2, 4, 6 and 8% (w/w)] were added to whey cheese. The study was designed to evaluate the influence of pine nuts on physicochemical and sensory properties of whey cheese. The addition of pine nuts resulted in an increase in fat content and total solids and a decrease in moisture content. However, no statistically significant difference was found in pH values. Sensory analysis was performed using the 9-point hedonic scale, with selected assessors. The whey cheese sample with 4% pine nuts was the most appreciated (7.6 points), followed by the classic whey cheese, whey cheese with 6 and 8% pine nuts (7.4 points), and whey cheese with 2% pine nuts (7.3 points). Nevertheless, the sensory characteristics of whey cheese were not significantly influenced by the addition of pine nuts. Whey cheese sensory profiling was successful in differential characterization of whey cheese samples

Fingerprint profiling of polysaccharide kefiran extracted from kefir grains biomass

Kefiran is a water-soluble polysaccharide extracted from kefir grains biomass. The identification and quantification of kefiran monosaccharides were carried out by HPTLC after the complete acid hydrolysis of kefiran solutions. The mobile phase was a mixture of n-propanol: acetic acid: water (70:20:10, v/v). For derivatization was used p-aminobenzoic acid and o-phosphoric acid in methanol. The identified HPTLC fractions were glucose (Rf 0.71) and galactose (Rf 0.66), which indicates a high purity of the extracted kefiran. The relative concentrations of each monosaccharide identified in samples are dependent on the initial molecular weight of the polymer chain. The kefiran isolated from kefir grains grown in milk is a heteropolysaccharide which contains D-glucose and D-galactose units in a ratio of 0.94:1.1

Fingerprint profiling of polysaccharide kefiran extracted from kefir grains by high-performance thin – layer chromatography

Kefiran is a microbial and water-soluble polysaccharide obtained from the flora of kefir grains. It contains approximately equal amount of D - Glucose and D - Galactose, which could improve the viscosity and viscoelastic properties of dairy products. Kefiran has some functional advantages such as antibacterial, antifungal and antitumor properties, it is often used in the food industry as a texturing and gelling agent. The matrix of kefiran can produce films with good appearance and satisfactory mechanical properties; it appears to have excellent potential as a film-forming agent and it can be an affordable alternative to synthetic packaging in food applications.Human Resources Development Operational Programme 2007-201