Abstract:
We aimed to investigate the effects of dried curry leaves powder (CLP) incorporation
on physicochemical, microbiological, antioxidant, and sensory properties of cream
cheeses. Varying levels of CLP infusions (i.e., T1: 0% [control], T2: 0.15%, T3: 0.2%,
and T4: 0.25%; w/w%) were stored for 10 days at 4°C. Antioxidant properties were
evaluated using total phenolic content, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical
scavenging ability, and ferric reducing antioxidant power using in vitro assays. Total
antioxidant capacity significantly (p < .05) increased with the increasing levels of CLP.
Physicochemical and microbiological qualities were not significantly affected by the
addition of CLP, indicating the suitability of using CLP without compromising the
quality of cream cheese. Organoleptic properties were affected with CLP addition,
where T3 had the highest scores for color, aroma, flavor, texture, and overall accept ability. The principal component analysis provides the holistic approach of study ing the variation associated with cream cheeses and the overall relationship among
studied parameters. This provides strong references for novel dairy products added
with antioxidant-rich Murraya koenigii L. powder. The study also has merits to pro mote scientific knowledge concerning, and how the incorporation would influence
the physicochemical, organoleptic, and microbiological properties of cream cheese to
deliver the value-added or diversified product to emerging consumers
