Effect of Herbal Extracts Upon Enhancing the Quality of Low-Fat Cottage Cheese

Abstract

compounds found in plants possess medicinal properties and act as biogenic stimulants. These substances are formed in isolated tissues of animal and plant origin during their adapting to adverse environmental conditions, exhibiting biological activity. Biogenic stimulants include plant extracts utilized in pharmacology and dairy cattle breeding to enhance immunity, prevent animal infertility, increase productivity, and elevate the level of protein and fat components in milk. This suggests the potential application of plant biopreparations in the dairy industry, particularly in the technology of low-fat cottage cheese, to enhance its protein content. Objective. The present study aims to investigate the effect of biological preparations used in low-fat cottage cheese production on its quality and assess the feasibility of the said preparation. Methods. The quality parameters and biological value were evaluated for low-fat cottage milk cheese made from low-fat cow's milk prepared for curdling, as well as the lactating enzyme preparation "Fromaza" in the amount of 0.1 g for each batch of the product dissolved in plant extracts-based biopreparations "Biosvit" and "Megasvit". In samples of raw milk, the mass fraction of fat, protein, and solids and density were determined. Physicochemical and biochemical parameters, as well as the amino acid composition of protein in milk, were determined using standardized methods. Results. The study revealed that the use of "Biosvit" increased the mass fraction of total protein in the pilot cheese batch by 0.4%, while "Megasvit" led to a decrease in total protein content by 0.52%. Additionally, "Biosvit" and "Megasvit" reduced the mass fraction of non-casein protein in the pilot cheese batches by 0.25% and 1.82%, respectively, and increased the level of casein protein by 0.65% and 1.43%, respectively, compared to the control. The cheese yield from every 100 kg of processed raw milk increased by 2.8% and 4.5%, respectively, when using "Biosvit" and "Megasvit" preparations, compared to the control. Conclusions. The effectiveness of the biological preparation "Megasvit", used to dissolve the enzyme "Fromaza", in improving the quality and biological value of low-fat cottage cheese has been confirmed.

Keywords

• biological preparations
• milk-coagulating enzyme preparation
• protein content
• cottage cheese