Nanoparticles Titanium Dioxide with Thymus vulgaris extract in preservation and prolong the shelf life of cheese

Abstract

Cheese is considered a perishable food that is affected by microorganisms, and due to the properties of nanomaterials that have antimicrobial activity, they have been used synergistically with plant extracts in inhibiting the action of microorganisms that cause cheese spoilage. In this study, TiO2 (Titanium dioxide) nanoparticles were synthesized using Thymus vulgaris leaves extract (TVLE) . Atomic Force Microscopywas used to investigate Titanium dioxide/ TVLE nanoparticles characterize, which improved the regular spherical shape and granular distribution of nanoparticles with a particle size of 13 nm . The results showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Titanium dioxide was at a concentration of 4 mg/ml and 80 mg/ml for TVLE, while it was 2 + 20 mg /ml for Titanium dioxide and TVLE .The inhibitory effect increased against Brucella melitensis recorded 12 mm when mixing Titanium dioxide and TVLE, compared with the inhibitory effect of Titanium dioxide, which recorded 10.5 mm and TVLE, with an inhibition diameter 8.1 mm. The effect of using titanium particles and thyme leaves’ extract was studied alone at a concentration of 4 mg/ml and  80 mg/ml and also when mixed in the microbial properties and pH of white soft cheese samples, which were prepared in the laboratory and contaminated with Brucella melitensis at refrigerated storage conditions (5Cº) for 21days. The effect of the synergism relationship between TiO2 / TVLE significantly reduced the total number of microorganisms in samples contaminated and uncontaminated with B. melitensis. Adding titanium dioxide and TVLE at concentrations of 4 and 80 mg/ml contributed significantly to maintaining the pH level during the storage period compared with the control group.