Utilization of two plant polysaccharides to improve fresh goat milk cheese: Texture, rheological properties, and microstructure characterization

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of added jujube polysaccharide (JP) and Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on the texture, rheological prop-erties, and microstructure of goat milk cheese. Seven groups of fresh goat milk cheese were produced with 4 levels (0, 0.2, 0.6, and 1%, wt/wt) of JP and LBP. The goat milk cheese containing 1% JP showed the high-est water-holding capacity, hardness, and the strongest rheological properties by creating a denser and more stable casein network structure. In addition, the yield of goat milk cheese was substantially improved as a result of JP incorporation. Cheeses containing LBP expressed lower fat content, higher moisture, and softer texture compared with the control cheese. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance analysis demonstrated that the addition of JP improved the stability of the secondary protein structure in cheese and significantly enhanced the bind-ing capacity of the casein matrix to water molecules due to strengthened intermolecular interactions. The current research demonstrated the potential feasibility of modifying the texture of goat milk cheese by JP or LBP, available for developing tunable goat milk cheese to satisfy consumer preferences and production needs.