Our results revealed that L. acidophilus (LA-5), L. casei subsp. paracasei (L. casei 01) and B. lactis (BB 12), added in a goat coalho cheese, survived (counts higher than 5.5 log cfu/g) the simulated gastrointestinal digestion in the upper gastrointestinal tract model, suggesting that these probiotic strains are able to pass through the gastrointestinal tract when delivered in the assayed cheese matrix.
Goat coalho cheese presented a protective effect on the probiotic strains tested when challenged with artificial digestion. In this study itwas also found that L. casei subsp. paracasei stood out in inhibiting the growth of S. aureus and or L.monocytogenes in goat coalho cheese over refrigerated storage relative to the inhibitory effects caused by B. lactis and
L. acidophilus. Regarding these findings, it could be inferred that goat coalho cheese could be an interesting carrier of those probiotic strains; and the probiotic bacteria tested, particularly L. casei subsp. paracasei, could be used as protective cultures to delay the growth of S. aureus and L. monocytogenes in goat coalho cheese.