Soy beverage added cheeses during ripening: physicochemical and bioactive properties determination

In this study, eight kinds of new innovative cheeses were produced with starter culture combinations containing Lactobacillus helveticus and Lactobacillus acidophilus from four different cow's milk compositions containing 0, 13, 26, and 39 % soy drinks. The physicochemical, sensory, microbiological, texture, aroma, peptide characteristics, and bioavailability levels of the produced innovative cheeses were investigated, in addition to their antioxidant, antihypertensive (ACE-inhibitor), and antimicrobial properties. Moreover, multiple factors such as milk composition, starter culture differences, and ripening time affect the peptide profile of cheeses, as revealed by in silico analysis. As a result of the analyses, the highest (38–47 %) dry matter values were determined in cheeses containing 0 % soy beverage, while the lowest dry matter values were determined in cheeses containing 39 % soy beverage. The dry matter values of cheeses produced with starter cultures containing Lactobacillus acidophilus were higher than those produced with starter cultures containing Lactobacillus helveticus. It was determined that the yeast and mold numbers of the cheeses increased depending on the ripening time, and the sensory and textural properties decreased depending on the addition of soy beverages and the increase in the ripening time. A total of 207 volatile aroma components were detected in the cheeses during ripening period. While potential bioavailability indexes increased in 13H, 26H, and 39A coded cheeses depending on ripening, they decreased in 0A, 0H, and 39H coded cheeses. The DPPH antioxidant activity values of the gastrointestinal digestive fractions of cheeses with Lactobacillus helveticus ranged from 0.02 to 7.40 μg trolox/mg protein. Cheese varieties containing 26 % and 39 % soy beverages were found to exhibit the best antihypertensive activity. Gastrointestinal digestion fractions of all four cheeses with Lactobacillus acidophilus showed inhibition against Bacillus cereus. Inhibition zone diameters ranged from 7.5 to 10.85 mm. In silico studies confirmed a total of 102 peptides exhibiting ACE-inhibitory and DPP-IV-inhibitory bioactivity by LC-MS/MS. It was concluded that soy beverage addition, ripening, starter culture factors, gastrointestinal digestion, and ultrafiltration processes significantly affected the physicochemical, sensory, microbiological, texture, aroma, and bioactive properties of cheeses.