The effect of some herbs added to herby cheese on antimicrobial properties, antioxidant capacity and phenolic compounds of cheese

In this study, Herby cheese produced from sheep milk using Sirmo (Allium vineale L.), Mendi (Chaerophyllum macropodum Boiss.) and Siyabo (Ferula rigidula DC.) herbs, were investigated changes occurring during ripening in terms of chemical, biochemical, total phenolics with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity properties. For this purpose, both traditional and industrial production techniques were used in the production of Herby cheese. During ripening half of Herby cheese samples were stored in vacuum packaged, half of them in brined form.The antioxidant activity of the extracts were prepared with different solvents from fresh, brined herbs and Herby cheese samples were determined using DPPH and TEAK methods. The highest total phenolics (TP), antioxidant activity values were observed with methanolic extracts of fresh and brined herbs. According to the results of the DPPH test, antioxidant capacity of the extracts obtained from herbs with different solvents were changed from higher to lower as Siyabo, Sirmo and Mendi. The average TEAK values of herb varieties were changed from high to low as Siyabo, Mendi and Sirmo.According to the findings obtained from the stored in vacuum packaging of Herby cheese samples average dry matter, fat, protein, acidity, water soluble nitrogen (WSN), %12 TCA soluble nitrogen, total fatty acids, TP, DPPH and TEAK values were higher than Herby cheeses stored in brine. The average pH, ash, salt and %5 PTA soluble nitrogen content of Herby cheeses stored in brine was determined to be higher than Herby cheese stored in vacuum packaging. TP, DPPH and TEAK values of the extracts which were prepared by methanol, ethanol and acetone solvents obtained from Herby cheese samples were changed from higher to lower as methanol, ethanol and acetone. All of these brine herbs added to Herby cheese increased the total phenolic concentration and antioxidant activity of cheese. These components added to cheese have increased the functionality of cheese by increasing the inhibition of free radicals.Antimicrobial effect of the fresh, brine herbs and Herby cheese were determined by using to 7 different microorganism with well diffusion technique. The extracts which were prepared by different solvents from Herby cheese samples didn't have any antimicrobial effect against used microorganisms. Methanol, ethanol and acetone extracts of fresh and brine herbs have been found to show an antimicrobial effect against Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria.