Effectiveness of Terminalia bellerica based bioactive edible film in controlling the microbial growth and lipid oxidation of cheese during storage

Abstract

A novel bioactive film was developed using Terminalia bellerica as a bioactive ingredient for improved lipid-oxidative stability and microbial quality of cheese using kalari, a Himalayan cheese, as a food-model system. The carrageenan-based film with optimum characteristics was developed using 0.5% T. bellerica extract and characterized for various physicochemical and oxidative properties. The cheese samples were packaged within the films (T1 = control film, T2 = film containing 0.5% T. bellerica) and stored for four weeks at 4±1°C along with control samples. The addition of T. bellerica significantly increased the thickness and density and decreased the moisture content, transparency, solubility and water-vapour transmission rate of the film. It also increased (P<0.05) the antioxidant potential (total-phenolic and flavonoid contents, DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities) of the film. A significant impact of the film was observed on lipid stability and microbiological quality and the samples stored within the T2 film showed significantly lower values for thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, free-fatty acids, peroxide values and microbial counts on days 14 and 28. The T2 film showed a significant positive effect on the sensory quality of the stored product indicating the potential of the film for controlling the quality loss during storage.

Keywords

• T. bellerica
• Bioactive film
• Cheese
• Lipid stability
• Microbial and sensory quality