Evaluation of Toma Piemontese PDO cheese as a carrier of putative probiotics from table olive fermentations

Two strains of Lactobacillus plantarum (Lp S11T3E and Lp S2T10D) and one of Lactobacillus pentosus (Lps S3T60C), originally isolated from table olive fermentations, and previously characterized for their probiotic properties, have been added as adjunct cultures to Toma Piemontese Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) cheese, in order to develop a functional dairy product. The cheeses were sampled throughout their manufacturing process and during the two months of ripening. Moreover, they were also subjected to in vitro human digestion, followed by microbiological analysis. Monitoring of the inoculated strains was performed through molecular identification and biotyping. The organic acid and sugar contents of the cheeses were determined at each sampling point, while the organoleptic features were assessed by sensory evaluation. All isolated lactobacilli, during ripening and after digestion of the cheeses, were recognized as putative probiotics, and demonstrated to be well adapted to the food matrix investigated. The organic acid composition of the cheeses with the adjunct culture differed from the control, but this difference did not negatively affect the organoleptic profiles of the final product. Therefore, all the strains tested were to be usable as adjunct cultures in Toma Piemontese PDO production to develop a new functional food.