Functional goat milk cheese with feruloyl esterase activity

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to eva luate the effect of the intake of goat milk cheese manufactured with Lactobacillus ferment um CRL1446 on intestinal ferulo yl esterase (FE) activity and oxidativ e status in Swiss albino mice. This strain was used as single-st rain culture (CRL chee se) and in combination with starter culture (Mix cheese). In both cheeses, L. ferment um reached 8–9 log cfu/g and FE activity increased during ripeni ng. Highest activity le vel was observed in Mix cheese . In vivo studies sho we d that total intestinal FE activity in mice fed with CRL and Mix cheeses increased 1.5 and 2-fold compared to non -treated mice, respectively . Admi nistration of Mix cheese produced a 2-fo ld increase in FE act ivity in small and large intestine mucosa. Mice recei ving this cheese also sho wed an approx. 2-fold decrease in plas matic thiobarbitur ic acid-reacti ve subst ances (TBARS) lev els and an approx. 3-fold increase in glutathione reductase (GR) activity . Goat milk cheese elabor ated with FE-producing strain L. ferment um CRL1446 could re present a no vel funct ional food with FE act ivity , re sponsible for increasing intestina l FE activity and consequently the bioa vailab ility of antiox idant feruli c acid in the gut, thus enhancing the oxidativ e status and pro viding protection against oxidativ e stress-r elated disorders.