title: Proteolysis in model Portuguese cheeses: Effects of rennet and starter culture.
abstract: To shed further light onto the mechanisms of proteolysis that prevail throughout ripening of Portuguese cheeses, model cheeses were manufactured from bovine milk, following as much as possible traditional manufacture practices - using either animal or plant rennet. The individual role upon proteolysis of two (wild) strains of lactic acid bacteria - viz. Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus brevis, which are normally found to high viable numbers in said cheeses, was also considered, either as single or mixed cultures. Our experimental results confirmed the influence of rennet on the proteolysis extent, but not on proteolysis depth. On the other hand, the aforementioned strains clearly improved release of medium- and small-sized peptides, and contributed as well to the free amino acid pool in cheese.
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, P-4200-072 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cláudia I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Polytech' Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, F-64000 Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Eliza O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, P-4200-072 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana M P
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, P-4200-072 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: fxmalcata@esb.ucp.pt.
authors.forename: F Xavier
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Malcata
keywords: Casein hydrolysis; Cheese coagulant; Cheese ripening; Lactic acid bacteria; Soluble nitrogen fractions