Fatty acid profiles and mineral content of Serbian traditional white brined cheeses

Abstract

This study deals with fatty acid profiles and mineral contents of traditional Serbian white cheeses in brine. Study covered four Serbian traditional white brined cheeses: Zlatar cheese, Sjenica cheese, Svrljig cheese and Homolje cheese prepared from raw cow and ovine milk. Fatty acid profiles of traditional cheeses were qualitatively and quantitatively different. The content of saturated fatty acids was in the range of 65.97 %-76.61 % (cow cheeses) and 69.68 %-74.52 % (ovine cheeses). Unsaturated fatty acids range of cow and ovine cheeses was 23.39 %-34.03 % and 25.48 %-30.08 %, respectively. Depending on the type of cheese, the ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids was 1.66 %-11.03 %. The lowest content of saturated fatty acids was observed in Sjenica cow cheeses. Thus, this type of traditional cheeses had the most favorable health indices including atherogenicity index (1.89), thrombogenicity index (1.37) and desirable fatty acid ratio (46.34 %). Mineral content of traditional cheeses was also different. The ratio Ca:P was in the range of 0.70-1.33. The highest level of Ca, P, K, Mg, Zn, Cu and Cr was detected in Sjenica cheeses prepared from cow milk. The absence of Cd was observed in all cheeses.