Effect of Spent Rose Petal Extract on the Nutritional Profile of White Brined Cheese

The revalorization of agro-industrial by-products represents an important strategy for the development of sustainable functional foods. This study investigated the effect of spent Rosa damascena Mill. petal extract on the fatty acid, amino acid, lactose and organic acid composition of white brined cheese during the ripening and storage periods. The extract contained carbohydrates, organic acids, amino acids and characteristic volatile compounds, demonstrating that valuable bioactive constituents remained after rose oil production. White brined cheese was traditionally produced and stored in brine containing two concentrations of spent rose petal extract (33 mg/kg and 66 mg/kg), while cheese without extract served as the control. The effect of spent rose petal extract on cheese nutritional composition was evaluated after ripening (30 days) and after 1, 3 and 6 months of storage. Supplementation with spent rose petal extract selectively altered the cheese’s nutritional composition. Our results have shown significant differences in the content of several fatty acids, particularly capric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, arachidonic, behenic and vaccenic acids, whereas the major unsaturated fatty acids remained stable. Significant changes were also detected for lactic, oxalic, acetic and formic acids, while amino acid composition and lactose content were not significantly influenced by extract supplementation. Overall, these findings suggest that the incorporation of spent rose petal extracts may influence the nutritional characteristics of cheese fat and support the potential development of value-added dairy products. From a food-process perspective, these findings support the use of spent rose petals as a sustainable raw material for the development of value-added dairy products and further emphasize the potential of agricultural by-products within modern circular food systems.