A comparison of the use of thistle (Cynara cardunculus L.) and artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) aqueous extracts for milk coagulation

Plant coagulants may offer a wide range of possibilities for cheese production, but before they can be used on an industrial scale, an in-depth study needs to be made concerning their suitability for cheese making and their effect on the coagulation process. The aims of this study were to determine the clotting activity of two plant coagulants in standard milk, to study the influence of different conditions (coagulant concentration, temperature, and frozen storage) on the coagulation of standard milk, and to compare the technological behavior of artichoke and thistle coagulants in goat milk. The coagulant activity of artichoke extract (46 IMCU mL(-1)) was lower than that of thistle extract (61 IMCU mL(-1)). Both extracts behaved similarly in the different conditions mentioned above in standard milk, and both can be used to curdle goat milk with no significant differences. The results point to similar rates of micellar aggregation for both plant coagulants, suggesting that artichoke could be used as an alternative coagulant to thistle for cheese making.