Carrots (the main source of carotenoids) have multiple
nutritional and health benefits. The objectives of
this study were to evaluate the compositional, antioxidant,
and antimicrobial properties of carrot powder
and to examine its effect on the sensory characteristics,
chemical properties, and microbial viability of probiotic
soft cheese at a rate of 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6%. The
carrot was turned into powder before being analyzed
and incorporated as an ingredient in making probiotic
soft cheese. Probiotic soft cheese was made from buffalo
milk. The buffalo milk (~6.9% fat, 4.4% protein, 9.2%
milk solids not fat, and 0.7% ash) was pasteurized at
75 ± 1°C for 5 min and cooled to 40–42°C. The milk
was then divided into 4 aliquots. Sodium chloride (local
market, Assiut, Egypt) was added at a ratio of 5%
followed by starter cultures. The carrot powder (4.5%
moisture, 4.8% ash, 2.7% fat, 8.2% protein, 11.9% fibers,
and 72.3% carbohydrate) was added at a rate of
0.2, 0.4, and 0.6%, followed by addition of 0.02 g/kg
rennet. The cheese was cut again into cubes, pickled in
jars filled with whey, and stored for 28 d at 6 ± 1°C.
The results of this study illustrated the nutritional and
antioxidant properties of carrot powder. Incorporation
of carrot powder in probiotic soft cheese affected the
moisture and salt content at 0 d. The total bacteria
count decreased from 7.5 to 7.3 log cfu/g in the cheese
when carrot powder was used at a rate of 0.6%. The
reduction of total bacteria count was noticed during the
28 d of storage by adding carrot powder. Furthermore,
lactic acid bacteria and Bifidobacterium longum counts
elevated with adding carrot powder during the 28 d of
storage.

The popularity of rosemary has grown as a natural alternative over the synthetic supplements due to its potential health benefits. The rosemary plant has been utilized to preserve food due to its ability to prevent oxidation and microbial contamination. The reason for this study was to determine the phytochemical components and antimicrobial activity of rosemary essential oil (REO) and the effect of REO addition (0.5 and 0.7%) on the chemical, microbiological, and sensory properties of stirred-like yogurt (SLY) during 16 days of storage at 4 °C. The obtained data observed that REO exhibited antimicrobial action against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella marcescens, as well as fungi (Aspergillus flavus) and yeasts (Candida albicans). Increased REO to 0.7% accelerated (p < 0.05) the development of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in SLY (8.3 log cfu/g) and delayed yeast growth up to 12 days. Molds and coliforms were also not found in the SLY samples with REO. In comparison to control samples, sensory results showed that the addition of REO improves the overall acceptance of SLY (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the current study found that REO could be used as a natural preservative during the production of SLY to extend shelf-life and promote LAB development.

Listeria monocytogenes is one of the most important emerging foodborne pathogens. The
objectives of this work were to investigate the incidence of Listeria spp. and L. monocytogenes in soft
cheese and ice cream in Assiut city, Egypt, and to examine the effect of some probiotic Bifidobacterium
spp. (Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium animalis, or a mixture of the two) on the viability of
L. monocytogenes in soft cheese. The existence of Listeria spp. and L. monocytogenes was examined
in 30 samples of soft cheese and 30 samples of ice cream. Bacteriological analyses and molecular
identification (using 16S rRNA gene and hlyA gene for Listeria spp. and L. monocytogenes, respectively)
were performed on those samples. Additionally, Bifidobacterium spp. were incorporated in the making
of soft cheese to study their inhibitory impacts on L. monocytogenes. Out of 60 samples of soft cheese
and ice cream, 25 samples showed Listeria spp., while L. monocytogenes was found in only 2 soft
cheese samples. Approximately 37% of soft cheese samples (11 out of 30) had Listeria spp. with about
18.0% (2 out of 11) exhibiting L. monocytogenes. In ice cream samples, Listeria spp. was presented by
47% (14 out of 30), while L. monocytogenes was not exhibited. Moreover, the addition of B. animalis to
soft cheese in a concentration of 5% or combined with B. breve with a concentration of 2.5% for each
resulted in decreasing L. monocytogenes efficiently during the ripening of soft cheese for 28 d. Listeria
spp. is widely found in milk products. Probiotic bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium spp., can be utilized
as a natural antimicrobial to preserve food and dairy products.

The study determined the ability of three probiotics to improve the nutritional value of date palm leaves in diets of growing lambs. Twenty male Farafra lambs (26 ± 0.33 kg) were randomly allocated to one of four treatments (n = 6) and fed: a control or basal diet (C; 70% concentrate + 30% date palm leaves without additives) and supplemented with Bacillofort containing 2 × 10¹¹ CFU of Bacillus subtilis/g (BAC treatment), Lacotpro containing 1 × 10¹² CFU of Lactobacillus acidophilus/g (LAC treatment) or ZAD containing 6 × 10⁸ CFU of R. albus/g (ZAD treatment) at 4 g of all additives for 150 days. As a result of this study, LAC improved (P < 0.05) growth performance and feed eciency compared to control. Additives increased (P = 0.001) concentrations of albumin, triiodothyronine, and thyroxine, hemoglobin concentration and red blood cells and decreased (P = 0.001) globulin and urea-N. Additives increased hot carcass (P = 0.040) while BAC increased Longissimus dorsi,meat and fat without a?ecting water holding capacity compared to other treatments. In themetabolismexperiment, BAC increased the digestibility of crude protein, while BAC and ZAD increased the digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and neutral detergent fiber. Additives did not a?ect nitrogen (N) intake and urinary N; however, decreased fecal N and increased N balance compared to the control. BAC and ZAD increased ruminal volatile fatty acids concentration compared to the control. Based on our results, Lacotpro could be used to improve growth performance and feed eciency, while Bacillofort could be used to improve meat quality of in lambs.

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