Antioxidant and antibacterial activity of two dairy camel milk products: yoghurt and cheese

This work focused on producing yoghurt and cheese from camel milk and assessing their physicochemical features along with biological activities. Converting camel milk into fermented products such as yoghurt and cheese is a common preservation approach; however, it remains challenging due to the difficulty of achieving proper coagulation. In this study, camel milk cheese was prepared using enzymatic extracts derived from kiwi and artichoke and compared with cheese obtained with commercial chymosin. The analyses revealed that the cheeses differed in their physicochemical profiles: kiwi extract produced a more acidic product with a higher protein concentration (40.25 g/L) than that obtained with artichoke extract (32.43 g/L). Cheese yield was also greater with the plant enzymes (22.66% for kiwi and 21.06% for artichoke) compared with chymosin (15.55%). Camel milk yoghurt displayed notable physicochemical properties, including elevated protein levels (23.44 g/L), high viscosity (300 cP), and considerable lactose, acidity, and ash content. The antioxidant capacity was assessed using DPPH radical scavenging, ferric reducing power, and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays. Results showed a dose-dependent increase in antioxidant activity, with camel yoghurt and cheese exhibiting maximum values of 61.58% and 14.9%, respectively, when compared with ascorbic acid. Antibacterial potential was determined using the agar diffusion method against seven pathogenic bacteria. Both camel milk yoghurt and cheese demonstrated significant inhibitory effects on all tested strains.