Enhanced microbial, functional and sensory properties of herbal soft cheese with coriander seeds extract nanoemulsion

In this study, the ethanolic extract of coriander seed extract (CSE) was converted to a nanoemulsion. The phenols, vitamins, antimicrobial, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images for CSE nanoemulsion were determined. The CSE nanoemulsion was rich in phenols such as (ellagic acid, chlorogenic acid, rutin, and, syringic acid) and soluble vitamins such as (B1, B2, B9, and B12). The TEM image found the CSE nanoemulsion was spherical, irregular in shape, with a range of 70-115 nm. The MIC against test strains ranged between 0.3 and 0.7% for CSE, and these values were reduced to 0.1 and 0.5% for CSE in nanoemulsion. The use of CSE nanoemulsion concentrations was displayed as bacteriostatic action against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Aspergillus flavus using a killer kinetics assay. The CSE nanoemulsion concentrations of 0, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5% were incorporated into soft cheese fortified with Lacticaseibacillus casei to form control, T1, T2, and T3 treatments. The soft cheese treatments were evaluated for microbiological, chemical, and sensory properties during storage for 40 days. The maximum L. casei counts were observed at 30 days, especially for T2 and T3. The CSE nanoemulsion delayed the mold and yeast growth up to 20 days. The total solids and acidity of soft cheese were increased during storage, and T3 had the lowest total solids with the highest acidity. The fat and protein content decreased with high concentrations of CSE nanoemulsion. The addition of CSE nanoemulsion concentrations enhanced the soft cheese's overall acceptability.