Using Clove Essential Oil to Increase the Nutritional Potential of Industrial Fresh Double Cream Cheese

Abstract

The present study was a potential application of Clove Essential Oil (CEO) in industrial fresh double cream cheese in order to lengthen its conservation and to improve its antioxidant potential. In this work, CEO was extracted by hy-dro distillation, and then analyzed by GC-MS; 24 components of clove essen-tial oil were identified. Eugenol was the major component (57.66%). Its anti-microbial properties against E. coli, Salmonella enteritidis and Staphylococ-cus aureus, were evaluated by disc diffusion method and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). As for, the antioxidant activity of CEO was evaluated by DPPH assay method. An optimum content of CEO (0.37%) was calculated by mixing plan carried out by Expert design software and then added to stu-died cheese. The responses, fixed from the beginning, for this mixing plan were: minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), antioxidant activity (IC50), taste and odor intensity and global appreciation. The results found on the cheese supplemented with the optimum content of CEO showed antioxidant activity (IC50 = 0.146) was relatively important compared to conventional cheese (IC50 = 0.477). In fact, the incorporation of CEO in cheese may strongly improve its oxidative stability. Cheese antioxidant activity was not affected during the storage period for 13 days. Results showed also that the fresh double cream cheese could be stored at refrigerated temperature with good taste and odor during the period of 13 days due to antimicrobial prop-erties given by CEO, that suggest lengthening its shelf life.