Bacteriological analyses
Samples of all Kareish cheese were prepared for bacteriological
analysis according to the method described in the Standard
Methods for the Examination of Dairy Products (Wehr and
Frank, 2004). Viable cell counts of Lb. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus
on MRS agar (pH 5.2, anaerobic incubation at 45 C for
72 h), Lb. acidophilus on MRS-sorbitol agar (Anaerobic incubation
at 37 C for 72 h), Str. thermophilus on ST agar (Aerobic
incubation at 37 C for 24 h) and bifidobacteria on MRS
agar (Oxoid) supplemented with L-cystein and lithium chloride
(Sigma Chemical CO., USA) (Anaerobic incubation at 37 C
for 72 h) were enumerated as described by Dave and Shah
(1996). The plates were incubated in an anaerobic environment
(BBL Gas Pak, Becton Dickinson Microbiology Systems). The
results expressed