Impact of Moringa oleifera seed milk coagulant on the quality of fresh buffalo milk cheese during processing and storage

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of Moringa oleifera seed milk coagulant on quality characteristics of fresh buffalo milk cheese during processing and storage. Sensory properties, pH, and total microbial counts of prepared cheeses remained within the normal quality range over the 21-d storage period. The residual coagulant activity during cheese processing was significantly higher compared with that during storage on d 1, 3, 5, 9, 11, and 13. Cheese hardness significantly increased from d 1 to 7 of storage. Additionally, the rheological properties of storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G⊺) were lower during processing than during storage. Moreover, a higher degree of proteolysis was observed in cheeses with increased residual coagulant activity during the early stages of storage, as demonstrated by the results of soluble nitrogen content at pH 4.6, total free amino acid content, and SDS-PAGE. Additionally, the peptide fraction from buffalo milk cheese with a molecular weight <10 kDa during early storage (d 1 to 5) exhibited higher antioxidant, bacteriostatic, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activities. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential application of M. oleifera seed milk coagulant in buffalo milk cheese production.