No abstract

Labneh or strained yogurt is a fermented milk product popular in Lebanon, the Middle East, and in the Balkan regions. With increased consumer awareness about the health benefits of consuming diets low in fat, reduced-fat Labneh products have emerged on the Lebanese market. The objectives of this study were to assess the physicochemical and sensory properties of commercial bovine Labneh products differing in fat content. Seven commercial bovine Labneh brands were chosen. Three brands were available in full-fat, reduced-fat, and zero-fat versions, 3 in full-fat and zero-fat versions, and 1 in full-fat and reduced-fat versions, resulting in a total of 17 tested samples. The moisture, fat, protein, ash, pH, and nitrogen-free extract contents were determined and instrumental texture characteristics measured using a texture analyzer. Nine trained panelists used quantitative descriptive analysis to profile the sensory attributes of the samples and an acceptability test was carried out with 73 panelists. Brand type had a significant effect on all chemical parameters, as did fat level, except for nitrogen-free extract. Instrumental texture analysis showed a significant effect of brand and fat levels, as well as their interaction, on all attributes, except for adhesiveness and fat level. Sensory analysis suggested that significant differences existed between brands for most attributes. Full-fat samples were significantly more yellow, less sweet, and possessed a stronger acidic aftertaste than did their reduced-fat and zero-fat counterparts. Acceptability clearly decreased as fat level decreased from full fat to zero fat, with full-fat Labneh samples rating highest on the acceptability of appearance, flavor, texture, and overall acceptability.

Concentrated/Greek yogurt or Labneh is a semisolid food produced from yogurt by eliminating part of its water and water-soluble compounds. Today's world is geared toward the production of lower fat foods without compromising the texture and flavor of these products. The objective of this study was to characterize the physicochemical and sensory properties of bovine, caprine, and ovine Labneh with different fat levels. Bovine, caprine, and ovine milks were used to produce two batches of full-fat (∼10%), reduced-fat (∼5%), and low-fat (<1%) concentrated yogurt samples. Chemical analyses of fat, moisture, protein, ash, syneresis, acidity, pH, sodium, magnesium, and calcium contents were conducted. Instrumental texture analysis using the back extrusion method was applied. Quantitative descriptive sensory analysis was used to profile samples by 11 trained panelists and the acceptability of samples was assessed by 47 panelists. Type of milk significantly affected (P < 0.001) all chemical attributes except moisture and nitrogen-free extract, and fat level significantly impacted moisture, fat, protein, ash, acidity, and magnesium contents of Labneh. Type of milk significantly affected apparent modulus, hardness, hardness work done, and adhesive force, whereas fat level significantly affected hardness. Type of milk significantly affected the sensory attributes of syneresis, compactness, goaty odor and flavor, rate of flow, color, shininess, bitter flavor, denseness, melting rate, and spreadability, whereas fat level affected only color, denseness, and melting rate. Type of milk had a significant effect on overall acceptability and acceptability of flavor and texture.

Halloumi cheese is a popular cheese in Lebanon and the Middle East. Today, health-conscious consumers are demanding lower fat foods with sensory properties that are comparable to their full-fat counterparts. The objectives of this work were to characterize the physicochemical and sensory properties of bovine and ovine Halloumi of different fat levels and to provide a baseline sensory profile for Halloumi cheese. Full-fat, reduced-fat, and low-fat samples were produced from ovine and bovine milks in 2 batches resulting in a total of 12 batches. The fat, protein, moisture, ash, pH, sodium, and calcium levels were determined and the instrumental textural characteristics of the samples were measured using a texture analyzer. Eleven trained panelists used quantitative descriptive analysis to profile the sensory attributes of the samples and an acceptability test was conducted with 84 panelists. The type of milk (ovine vs. bovine) significantly affected the moisture and protein contents, whereas fat level had a significant effect on moisture, fat, protein, and ash contents. Instrumental texture analysis revealed that the type of milk significantly affected adhesiveness, chewiness, and hardness, whereas the fat level affected chewiness, hardness, adhesiveness, and cohesiveness. The sensory results of the trained panelists revealed that the ovine cheese was more yellow and harder than bovine cheese, whereas bovine cheese was squeakier. Low-fat and reduced-fat cheeses were also more yellow and harder than full-fat cheese, and full-fat cheese was more moist with no significant differences between the low-fat and reduced-fat varieties. Type of milk and fat level did not have any significant effect on fermented flavor, whey flavor, or saltiness. Bovine cheese received significantly higher scores on overall acceptability, texture acceptability, and significantly lower scores on the food action rating scale. Full-fat cheese obtained the highest score on overall acceptability, and texture acceptability decreased significantly with decreasing fat levels.

Our results indicate that ATRA could increase the expression of some genes associated with muscle differentiation in rhabdomyosarcoma cells, but there was no benefit of single-agent therapy in an MRD model, likely because cell cycle arrest was uncoupled from the pro-differentiation effects of retinoids.