Nutritional and microbiological characterization of semi-hard Caciotta-type cheese produced in the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan

Authors

  • Shahnoza Yuldasheva Tashkent Institute of Chemical Technology, Faculty of Food Technology and wine producing, Department of Food Technology, Navoi Street, 100101, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Tel.: +998995676817 , Tashkent Chemical-Technological Institute image/svg+xml Author
  • Nargiza Hamzayeva Tashkent State Medical University, Faculty of Pediatric, Department of Medical Biology, Medical Chemistry, and Medical Information. Trakkiyot street 103, 100047, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Tel.: +998938022117 Author
  • Dilshod Rakhimov Jiangnan University, Food science and Technology, Food Science, Blvd. Binhu, 1800, 214126, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China, Tel.: +998938591109 Author
  • Rano Akramova Tashkent Institute of Chemical Technology, Faculty of Food Technology and wine producing, Department of Food Technology, Navoi Street, 100101, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Tel.: +998906331058 Author
  • Akmal Uzaydullayev Gulistan State University, Faculty of natural sciences, Department of Biology, Gagarin street 4., 120100, Gulistan, Uzbekistan, Tel.: +998997290608 , Gulistan State University image/svg+xml Author
  • Gulnorakhon Salijanova Tashkent State Technical University named after Islam Karimov, Department of Biotechnology, Universitet Street 2, 100102. Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Tel.: +998334298729 , Tashkent State Technical University named after Islam Karimov image/svg+xml Author
  • Dilrabo Maksumova Tashkent Institute of Chemical Technology, Faculty of Food Technology and wine producing, Department of Food Technology, Navoi Street, 100101, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Tel.: +998904427842 , Tashkent Chemical-Technological Institute image/svg+xml Author
  • Nigina Sayfutdinova Tashkent State Technical University named after Islam Karimov, Department of Biotechnology, Universitet Street 2, 100102. Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Tel.: +998947010880 , Tashkent State Technical University named after Islam Karimov image/svg+xml Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5219/scifood.100

Keywords:

Caciotta cheese, amino acid profile, β-casein peptide, microbiological safety

Abstract

This study investigated the nutritional composition, microbiological safety, and potential functional properties of semi-hard Caciotta cheese produced from cow milk sourced in the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan, an area affected by moderate to high soil salinity. The research was conducted as a controlled experimental study under standardized cheese-production conditions. Proximate analysis revealed that the cheese contained 48.2% moisture, 24.8% fat, 3.1% ash, and 24.5% crude protein, values typical for semi-hard cheese varieties. Amino acid profiling was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) after phenylthiocarbamyl (PTC) derivatization. The total quantified amino acid content was 121.142 mg/g of cheese (approximately 494 mg/g of protein). Lysine (20.0 mg/g), glutamic acid (18.3 mg/g), proline (16.1 mg/g), histidine (12.0 mg/g), and aspartic acid (9.75 mg/g) were the predominant amino acids. Branched-chain amino acids accounted for 8.43 mg/g, while sulfur-containing amino acids reached 9.30 mg/g, indicating important nutritional contributions to protein metabolism and antioxidant-related processes. Microbiological analyses confirmed the absence of coliform bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus, demonstrating compliance with food safety requirements under refrigerated and frozen storage conditions. Additionally, in silico analysis of bovine β-casein peptides using the AnOxPePred platform predicted several peptides with potential antioxidant and ion-chelating properties. Molecular docking analysis suggested moderate interactions under simplified computational conditions and does not represent real cheese systems. Overall, the results demonstrate that Caciotta cheese produced from cow milk in the Khorezm region has high nutritional quality and is microbiologically safe. The study also suggests potential bioactive properties of β-casein-derived peptides; however, these predictions require experimental validation. These findings provide baseline data on a regionally produced dairy product and highlight the need for further comparative studies to better understand the possible influence of environmental factors, such as soil salinity, on milk and cheese composition.

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Published

2026-05-07

Issue

Vol. 20 (2026): Scifood

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Copyright (c) 2026 Shahnoza Yuldasheva, Nargiza Hamzayeva, Dilshod Rakhimov, Rano Akramova, Akmal Uzaydullayev, Gulnorakhon Salijanova, Dilrabo Maksumova, Nigina Sayfutdinova (Author)

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How to Cite

Nutritional and microbiological characterization of semi-hard Caciotta-type cheese produced in the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan. (2026). Scifood, 20(1), 408-421. https://doi.org/10.5219/scifood.100

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