https://doi.org/10.17113/ftb.63.04.25.8995

Article in press

Effect of Chitin-Glucan Hydrogel Coating on Shelf-Life of Kashar Cheese

Özge Aslan and Arzu Cagri-Mehmetoglu^*

Sakarya University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Food Engineering 54000 Sakarya, Türkiye

Copyright © 2024 This is a Diamond Open Access article published under CC-BY licence. Copyright remains with the authors, who grant third parties the unrestricted right to use, copy, distribute and reproduce the article as long as the original author(s) and source are acknowledged.

Article history:

Received: 13 December 2024

Accepted: 3 November 2025

Keywords:

chitin-glucan, hydrogels, edible coating, Kashar cheese, antioxidant effect

The content of this publication has not been approved by the United Nations and does not reflect the views of the United Nations or its officials or Member States.

Summary:

Research background. Study investigates the application of chitin-glucan-based hydrogel (CGH), obtained from Aspergillus niger mycelia grown in biological waste, to extend the shelf life of fresh Kashar cheese by mitigating biochemical and microbiological degradation during storage.

Experimental approach. Biological waste to be used as a medium for obtaining mycelium from A. niger was collected weekly for four weeks from a hotel, chitin-glucan nanofibers were produced from the mycelium using an alkaline method. The nanofibers were then freeze-thawed in an alkaline solvent system to form the hydrogel. To investigate the effect of hydrogel on the shelf life of fresh Kashar cheese, hydrogel-coated cheese samples were analyzed.

Results and conclusions. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis confirmed the hydrogel’s chitin-glucan composition, while scanning electron microscope (SEM) images demonstrated its successful application as a surface coating. Coating with CGH significantly increased the pH and mass loss of cheese samples compared to the control (distilled water, p≤0.05). Moisture loss rates were 8, 18 and 14 % for samples treated with water, KOH-CGH, and NaOH-CGH, respectively. Although the hydrogel didn’t significantly inhibit mold and yeast, (p≥0.05), the KOH-CGH coating effectively reduced lactic acid bacteria (LAB) proliferation (p≤0.05), which is associated with souring defects. Additionally, peroxide value (PV) reduction in coated samples (p≤0.05) suggests improvements in oxidative stability. Hydrogel coatings also influenced the texture properties of the cheese: hardness, chewiness, adhesiveness, and cohesiveness increased, while resilience and gumminess decreased (p≤0.05). Using zero-order kinetics, the shelf life of cheese was calculated based on peroxide formation, with deterioration defined at 2 mmol O₂/kg fat. The shelf life of uncoated cheese was estimated at 155 days, whereas it extended significantly to 555 days for cheese coated with either KOH-CGH or NaOH-CGH. These findings demonstrate the hydrogels' capacity to reduce oxidative and microbial spoilage, thereby prolonging the cheese’s usability.

Novelty and scientific contribution. Study highlights that CGH is sustainable, innovative edible coating with antioxidant properties, offering a promising approach for improving the quality, extending the shelf life of Kashar cheese. Future research could further optimize hydrogel formulations to enhance antimicrobial efficacy and explore their application in other high-moisture food products.