Effect of probiotic Minas Frescal cheese on the volatile compound and metabolic profiles assessed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and chemometric tools

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Lacticaseibacillus casei 01 as a probiotic culture on the production of volatile organic compounds and metabolic profile of Minas Frescal cheese. Lactose (α-lactose and β-lactose), fatty acids (unsaturated and saturated), citric acid, tryptophan, and benzoic acid were the main compounds. Compared with the control cheese, probiotic cheese was characterized by the highest concentration of tryptophan and presented a higher number of volatile acids. The control cheese was characterized by the highest concentration of benzoic acid and fatty acids, resulting in a higher number of volatile alcohols and esters. No differences were observed for α-lactose, β-lactose, and citric acid contents. A clear separation of probiotic and control Minas Frescal cheese was obtained using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, demonstrating that the addition of probiotic culture altered the metabolic profile of Minas Frescal cheese. Overall, the findings suggested that the addition of probiotic culture promoted the proteolysis in the fresh cheeses, decreased the lipolysis, and altered the volatile compounds. Furthermore, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy coupled to chemometrics tools could be used to differentiate probiotic and conventional cheeses.