Effect of Adding Water Extract and Essential Oil of Sweet Basil on Quality and Different Properties of Soft Cheese

Soft cheese was made from ultrafiltrated-milk, retentate fortified with sweet basil leaves extracts (SBLE) or sweet basil oil (SBO) as a functional food ingredients with high antioxidative activity. Six cheese treatments, namely those being made by UF-retentate fortified with 1,3 and 5% SBLE (T1,T2 and T3) and with SBO (T4, T5 and T6), and stored at 4ºC ±1°Cfor 8 weeks. Examination of the resultant cheese treatments were then analyzed for the total Phenolic content and the antioxidative activity following the DPPH and FRAP methods. Chemical, microbiological, rheological and sensory properties were also detected. The resultant soft cheese treatments supplemented with either SBLE or SBO contained higher total phenolic content (TPC), radical scavenging activity (RSA), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), total volatile fatty acids (TVFAs), pH values, texture parameters and organoleptic properties. Fortification with sweet basil, on the other hand, decreased the total bacterial count, moulds yeasts, soluble nitrogen (SN), tyrosine, tryptophane, and peroxide value (PV). The examined cheese treatments were further of higher healthy benefits, and of extended shelf life, when they were fortified with either SBLE or SBO up to 5% or 800 ppm, respectively. Cheese treatment being made by adding of 3% of SBLE and 400 ppm of SBO were of preference organoleptic properties.