ASMA SENOUSSI1,2,* LAURA TUMINELLO3, HAROUN CHENCHOUNI4,5, SARA PANSERI6, MARGHERITA CACCAMO3, OUARDA AISSAOUI-ZITOUN2, MOHAMMED NASSER-EDDINE ZIDOUNE2 and STEFANIA CARPINO7
1Department of Applied Biology, Faculty of Exact Sciences and Nature and Life Sciences, University of Larbi Tebessi – Tebessa, 12002, Tebessa, Algeria,
2Laboratoire de Nutrition et Technologies Alimentaires (LNTA), Equipe “TEPA”, INATAA, University of Constantine 1, 25000, Constantine, Algeria,
3Consorzio di Ricerca Lattiero Casearia (CoRFiLaC), 97100, Ragusa, Sicilia, Italy,
4Laboratory of Natural Resources and Management of Sensitive Environments (LRNAMS), University of Larbi Ben M’hidi, 04000, Oum El Bouaghi, Algeria,
5Higher National School of Forests, 40000, Khenchela, Algeria,
6Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences—DIVAS, Universita degli Studi di Milano, 26900, Lodi, Italy,
7Department of Central Inspectorate for Fraud Repression and Quality Protection of the Agri-food Products and Foodstuffs (ICQRF), Laboratory of Perugia, 06128, Perugia, Italy
*Author for correspondence. E-mail: asma.senoussi@univ- tebessa.dz; asma_ senoussi@yahoo.com
Background:
Bouhezza is a traditional Algerian cheese that is ripened in permeable goatskin bags known as Djeld, which enable spontaneous coagulation, drainage and maturation. Despite their central role in traditional Bouhezza production, the functional mechanisms of goatskin containers are poorly understood.
Aims:
This study aimed to elucidate the microstructural and microbial dynamics of goatskin used in Bou- hezza cheese production, with a focus on its potential role as a semipermeable membrane and microbial reservoir.
Methods:
Goatskin samples were analysed before and after drying and Lben (fermented milk) treatment using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Porosity, pore area and microbial colonisation patterns were assessed.
Major Findings:
Drying significantly increased skin porosity from 5% (mean pore area: 3026 lm2) in fresh skin to 11% (mean pore area: 4250 lm2). After contact with Lben, porosity decreased to 4% in both fresh and dried skins, with mean pore areas reduced to 2703 and 3377 lm2, respectively, reflecting microbial adhesion and biofilm formation. High-resolution SEM and CLSM imaging revealed fila- mentous Lben structures entrapping casein and microbial cells, likely regulating moisture and air exchange during cheese maturation. Moreover, Lben contact enriched the goatskin biofilm with lac- tic acid bacteria and yeasts, promoting the development of unique cheese texture, flavour and bio- chemical profiles. These microstructural and microbial ecosystems were associated with intensified lipolysis and flavour development in skin-aged cheeses.
Scientific and industrial implications:
This study demonstrated that goatskin bags serve a dual function in Bouhezza cheese production: acting both as a semipermeable maturation membrane and as a dynamic microbial ecosystem that shapes the traditional character of Bouhezza cheese. These findings offer mechanistic insights into traditional cheese maturation and support the valorisation and preservation of artisanal dairy prac- tices. Further research on the metabolic activity of biofilms in such systems is required.
Keywords Goatskin bag, Bouhezza cheese, Biofilm, Skin-Lben interaction, SEM, CLSM.
International Journal of Dairy Technology
doi: 10.1111/1471-0307.70041
© 2025 Society of Dairy Technology.
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