Impact of Antioxidative Properties of Cumin and Tarragon Essential Oils on the Quality of Full-Fat White Cheese

Oxidation occurrence in milk and dairy products causes rancidity that leads to changes in odour and taste, loss of nutritional quality and safety. The aim of this investigation is to assess the antioxidant efficiency of cumin seed and tarragon essential oils (EOs) at different concentrations in full-fat white cheese at 4°C over a 60-day period.
The components of the extracted essential oils were determined by gas chromatography equipped with mass spectroscopy. In order to evaluate the antioxidant activity of EOs in cheese, peroxide and tiobarbituric acid values were measured as means to evaluate the extent of oxidation during 60 days of storage.
The main compounds present in cumin EO consisted of cumin aldehyde, α- terpinene-7-ol and γ-terpinene and the main compounds present in tarragon EO consisted of estragol, β-cis-Ocimene and β-trans-ocimene. Two percent concentration of essential oils of cumin and tarragon exhibited the best antioxidant activity during 60 days of storage. There were not significant differences between the peroxide and tiobarbituric acid values of the samples treated with 1% and 2% of cumin EO on the 60th day of storage. Final peroxide and tiobarbituric acid values of the samples containing 2% cumin and tarragon EOs were 0.19 meq O2/kg, 0.07 mg MDA/kg and 0.16 meq O2/kg, 0.03 mg MDA/kg, respectively. Significant differences were observed as compared to the control sample.
It was concluded that tarragon EO was more effective than cumin EO in order to protect the oil against oxidation and cumin EO at the concentration of 1%, obtained the highest overall score concerning the organoleptic acceptance.