The Functional Characteristics of Goat Cheese Microbiota from a One-Health Perspective

Tilocca, Bruno, Soggiu, Alessio, Iavarone, Federica, Greco, Viviana, Putignani, Lorenza, Ristori, Maria Vittoria, Macari, Gabriele, Spina, Anna Antonella, Morittu, Valeria Maria, Ceniti, Carlotta, Piras, Cristian, Bonizzi, Luigi, Britti, Domenico, Urbani, Andrea, Figeys, Daniel and Roncada, Paola (2022) The Functional Characteristics of Goat Cheese Microbiota from a One-Health Perspective. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23 (22). pp. 1-18. ISSN 1661-6596

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Abstract

Goat cheese is an important element of the Mediterranean diet, appreciated for its health-promoting features and unique taste. A pivotal role in the development of these characteristics is attributed to the microbiota and its continuous remodeling over space and time. Nevertheless, no thorough study of the cheese-associated microbiota using two metaomics approaches has previously been conducted. Here, we employed 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metaproteomics to explore the microbiota of a typical raw goat milk cheese at various ripening timepoints and depths of the cheese wheel. The 16S rRNA gene-sequencing and metaproteomics results described a stable microbiota ecology across the selected ripening timepoints, providing evidence for the microbiologically driven fermentation of goat milk products. The important features of the microbiota harbored on the surface and in the core of the cheese mass were highlighted in both compositional and functional terms. We observed the rind microbiota struggling to maintain the biosafety of the cheese through competition mechanisms and/or by preventing the colonization of the cheese by pathobionts of animal or environmental origin. The core microbiota was focused on other biochemical processes, supporting its role in the development of both the health benefits and the pleasant gustatory nuances of goat cheese.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Data Availability Statement The datasets supporting the conclusions of this article are available in the PRIDE repository (PXD032280; https://www.ebi.ac.uk/pride/archive/). Acknowledgments The authors wish to acknowledge the valuable support of Floro Denardo, who provided explanations and guidance throughout the sampling procedures. Simone Gardini is gratefully acknowledged for providing valuable support in the bioinformatic data analysis.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	animal infectious disease,cheese microbiota,goat cheese microbiota,metaproteomics,one health,raw milk,targeted metagenomics,catalysis,molecular biology,spectroscopy,computer science applications,physical and theoretical chemistry,organic chemistry,inorganic chemistry,sdg 3 - good health and well-being ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1500/1503
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Metabolic Health
Related URLs:	http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?...
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	06 Mar 2026 15:30
Last Modified:	09 Mar 2026 00:54
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/102243
DOI:	10.3390/ijms232214131

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