Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnologies, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Faculty of Food Engineering, Tourism and Environmental Protection, Research Center in Technical and Natural Sciences, "Aurel Vlaicu" University, Arad, Romania.
PLoS One. 2020 Dec 3;15(12):e0242824. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242824. eCollection 2020.
Țaga cheese is a traditional Romanian smear-ripened cheese made from bovine milk and identified with the name of the village and caves where it is produced. As no previously reported microbiological and chemical studies have been undertaken on this product, this research aimed to investigate the microbiological and biochemical characteristics which ensure the uniqueness of Țaga cheese during the ripening process, to inform producers as to key quality determinants. Cheese samples, consisting of retail blocks, were collected on days 2, 5, 12, 18, and 25 of the ripening process. The evolution of lactic microbiota during the production and maturation of traditional cheeses involves isolating lactic acid microorganisms present in cheese. Cheese samples were analyzed for pH, fat, NaCl, fatty acids, and volatile compounds. The microbial ecosystem naturally changes during the maturation process, leading to variation in the microorganisms involved during ripening. Our results show that specific bacteria were identified in high levels during the entire ripening process and may be responsible for milk fat lipolysis contributing directly to cheese flavor by imparting detailed fatty acid flavor notes, or indirectly as precursors formation of other flavor compounds.
塔伽奶酪是一种罗马尼亚传统的涂抹式成熟奶酪，由牛奶制成，并以其产地的村庄和洞穴命名。由于之前没有对该产品进行过微生物学和化学方面的研究，因此本研究旨在调查在成熟过程中确保塔伽奶酪独特性的微生物学和生物化学特性，为生产者提供关键质量决定因素的信息。奶酪样品由零售块组成，在成熟过程的第 2、5、12、18 和 25 天收集。在传统奶酪的生产和成熟过程中，乳杆菌微生物群的演变涉及到分离存在于奶酪中的乳酸菌。对奶酪样品进行了 pH 值、脂肪、NaCl、脂肪酸和挥发性化合物的分析。微生物生态系统在成熟过程中自然变化，导致在成熟过程中涉及的微生物发生变化。我们的结果表明，在整个成熟过程中，某些细菌被鉴定为高水平存在，可能是导致乳脂肪脂解的原因，通过赋予详细的脂肪酸风味特征，直接影响奶酪的风味，或者作为其他风味化合物形成的前体间接影响奶酪的风味。
