Authors : A. Nouani , E. Dako , A. Morsli , N. Belhamiche , S. Belbraouet , M.M. Bellal and A. Dadie
Abstract: Artisanal cheeses made with milk from small ruminants form a part of the eating habits of the people in the agricultural regions of northern and southern Algeria. The products are prepared from a maceration of cultivated plants such as artichoke, pumpkin seeds, fig tree sap and sometimes from the extracts of dried rennet. A strong plant flavor and limited conservation are characteristics of these types of cheese. The properties of purified extracts were studied in this research. The process involved purification by exclusion chromatography on Sephacryl S-200 and a Sephadex G-50 gel treatment to discolor the excess pigmentation as well as to highlight the effects of the various parameters (pH, temperature, enzyme and CaCl2 concentration) on the coagulant activity of the enzymes. The purified plant extracts known as Aspartic proteases are active in an acid medium, tolerate high milk temperatures (80°C) and have an increasing proteolytic activity on full-cream bovine casein as compared to commercial rennin. Like rennin, the extracts are relatively stable when stored at a low temperature.
A. Nouani , E. Dako , A. Morsli , N. Belhamiche , S. Belbraouet , M.M. Bellal and A. Dadie , 2009. Characterization of the Purified Coagulant Extracts Derived from Artichoke Flowers (Cynara scolymus) and from the Fig Tree Latex (Ficus carica) in Light of Their Use in the Manufacture of Traditional Cheeses in Algeria. Journal of Food Technology, 7: 20-29.