Abstract
We report the encapsulation of neutrase in liposornes for the acceleration of cheese ripening. The liposome preparation procedure consisted of repeated freeze-thaw cycles of multilarnellar vesicles followed by extrusion through polycarbonate filters. The neutrase encapsulation efficiency in the liposomes was influenced by the number of freeze-thaw cycles, achieving the highest value after seven cycles. Filtration through 200-nm polycarbonate membranes yielded homogenous size liposome populations with trapping efficiencies of about 65%. The vesicle stability and low neutrase release during the first stages of the cheese-making procedure, coupled with an almost quantitative retention of neutrase-loaded liposomes in cheese curd, ensured a proteolysis rate that was twice that observed in the control cheese.