Efeito do inóculo misto de Kluyveromyces lactis e Lactiplantibacillus plantarum na produção de queijo maturado

Abstract

Cheese ripening is a complex process, dependent on metabolic activity and on the interactions established among microorganisms present in the dairy matrix, which directly influence the physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory characteristics of the final product. In this context, the use of mixed starter cultures constitutes a promising biotechnological strategy to modulate ripening and to confer unique technological attributes to cheeses. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of co-inoculation of the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis (B10) and the lactic acid bacterium Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (BP16), isolated from the ecosystem of Minas Artesanal cheese, on the production of ripened cheese over 28 days. For this purpose, cheeses were produced from pasteurized milk and distributed into two treatments: a control treatment, containing a commercial bacterial starter culture associated with K. lactis, and an experimental treatment, containing a mixed inoculum of K. lactis and L. plantarum. During ripening, the cheeses were evaluated for microbial population dynamics, carbohydrate and organic acid composition, texture profile, microstructure, volatile compound profile, and antioxidant activity. Co-inoculation promoted more intense ripening, resulting in cheeses with greater softness, higher antioxidant activity, and a more complex aromatic profile compared to the control treatment. It was possible to observe a predominantly antagonistic interaction between the microorganisms, with metabolic predominance of L. plantarum throughout ripening. Thus, it was concluded that the association of K. lactis and L. plantarum shows potential for application as a mixed starter culture in the production of ripened cheeses, contributing to the optimization of ripening and to the improvement of the sensory characteristics of the product.