Effect of Protease-loaded Nanoliposome Produced by Heating Method on Yield and Composition of Whey and Curd during the Production of Iranian Brined Cheese

Background and Objectives: Fast proteolysis of cheese in ripening process may lead to the premature attack of casein, release of the majority of enzymes into the whey, and loss of cheese composition from curd to whey. In this study, the effect of liposomal Flavourzyme on proteolysis of Iranian white brined cheese, as well as on the yield and composition of whey and curd was investigated. Materials and Methods: Heating method (without using any toxic, volatile organic solvent or detergent) was used to nanoliposomal encapsulation of Flavourzyme. So, 0.15% and 0.3% (w/v) Flavourzyme-loaded liposome were incorporated to pasteurized cow milk. Iranian brined cheese was produced in triplicate using a complete randomized design. Then total solids were determined by drying them in an Infrared Oven. Water soluble nitrogen/total nitrogen and non-protein nitrogen/total nitrogen was determined by Kjeldahl method. Results: Encapsulation efficiency of liposomal Flavourzyme was 25%. No significant differences between chemical components of cheese curd (total solid, protein, TCA-soluble nitrogen, water soluble nitrogen) and whey (total solid, protein) were observed between encapsulated cheese and the control. Cheese production yield in experimental cheese was not different from that in the control cheese (P>0.05). Conclusions: The results suggest that application of liposomal Flavourzyme for acceleration of Iranian white brined cheese inhibits premature attack of casein and the release of the majority of cheese compositions into the whey. Keywords: Flavourzyme, Nanoliposome, Iranian brined cheese, Heating method