Minas frescal cheese manufactured with milk pasteurized using Ohmic Heating does not influence the biochemical properties but decrease the acid uric level in healthy Wistar rats

In this study, the impact of the consumption of Minas frescal cheese manufactured with pasteurized or ohmic-treated milk (72-75°C/12-15s, 8 V/cm) on the biochemical properties and acid uric level in healthy mice (8-10-week-old, Wistar mice) along 14 days. The animals were kept under controlled conditions (22 ºC; 40-60% air humidity and 12 h light-dark cycles), housed in polypropylene cages, and received feed and water ad libitum. Three groups (6 animals per group) were evaluated: (CON, no cheese consumption; CH, pasteurized-Minas frescal cheese and CH-O, ohmic-milk Minas frescal cheese) which received 5 g cheese/ day for 14 days. Serum levels of urea, creatinine, sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium, total cholesterol and fractions, total bilirubin and fractions, uric acid and blood parameters were determined at the end of the experiment as well as the feed and water consumption (daily) and the weight gain (weekly) were recorded. No effect (p > 0.05) of the consumption of cheeses (CH or CH-O) on the feed consumption (139-143 g/day), water consumption (196-206 mL/day), and weight gain (236-252 g of final weight was observed as well as at the potassium, calcium, magnesium, urea, creatinine, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, blood parameters, and bilirubin levels; however a decrease of the serum triglycerides was observed (p <0.05) for both cheeses. CH-O resulted in a decrease in the sodium and uric acid levels in the serum (0.12 against 0.8, CON and CH-O, p<0.05, respectively). Ohmic heating seems being an interesting option to Minas frescal cheese processing as it did not exert negative effect of health parameters of the Wistar rats besides presenting anti-hyperuricemic properties.