Biofunctional, chemical and sensory profile of mature cheese produced with artichoke flower coagulant (Cynara cardunculus L. var scolymus)

The objective was to analyze how the use of artichoke flower coagulant (Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus) affects the chemical, biofunctional and sensorial characteristics of cheeses during the ripening process. The cheeses were produced with bovine milk and extracts of artichoke flowers (TA), thistle flowers (TT) and microbial chymosin (TC), analyzed 1 d after production and during maturation for 10, 20 and 30 d. The reactions that occurred in the TA during maturation mainly impacted the proteolysis and texture of the cheeses. All cheeses had antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Sensorially, the TA cheese was similar to the TT, mainly in the bitter taste. The presence of hydrophobic peptides was greater in TA and TT cheeses when compared to TT, suggesting that proteolysis occurred in a similar way in both types of cheese, indicating the effectiveness of using the artichoke flower coagulant in the production of cheeses with a pasty texture.