Chemical and microbiological characteristics of ewes' milk cheese manufactured with extracts from flowers of Cynara cardunculus and Cynara humilis ascoagulants

The chemical and microbial characteristics as well as the flavor and aroma of Los Pedroches cheese made using aqueous extracts of Cynara cardunculus L . flowers were compared with those of cheeses manufactured with extracts of Cynara humilis L. throughout ripening. The two thistle species assayed wer e found to have no appreciable effect on the moisture, fat, protein, and Na Cl contents of the cheese or on its water activity, flavor, and aroma; howe ver, the use of C. humilis resulted in reduced lactic acid content (p < 0.0 01) and higher pH values (p < 0.05) relative to those of cheese specimens p roduced with C. cardunculus. The protein breakdown of the cheeses was asses sed in terms of soluble nitrogen (SN), nonprotein nitrogen (NPN), and amino acid nitrogen (AAN). Proteolysis was more marked and rapid in cheese conta ining C. cardunculus as coagulant, the SN and NPN contents of which were si gnificantly higher (p < 0.01) than those of the cheese obtained with the sp ecies C. humilis; AAN contents were similar in both species of Cynara throu ghout ripening. Although total viable, coliform, and lactobacilli counts we re similar in cheeses produced with both types of plant coagulant throughou t ripening, enterobacteria and yeasts counts (p < 0.01) and molds counts (p < 0.05) were higher in cheese produced with C. humilis than in cheese obta ined with C. cardunculus.