Open Access
Research (Published online: 25-06-2021)
31. Investigation of the effects of some processing conditions on the fate of oxytetracycline and tylosin antibiotics in the making of commonly consumed cheeses from the East Mediterranean
Hussein F. Hassan, Liz Saidy, Rita Haddad, Chadi Hosri, Shady Asmar, Adla Jammoul, Rola Jammoul, Hamad Hassan and Mireille Serhan
Veterinary World, 14(6): 1644-1649

Hussein F. Hassan: Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Lebanon.
Liz Saidy: Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Lebanon.
Rita Haddad: Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Lebanon.
Chadi Hosri: Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agronomy, Lebanese University, Dekwaneh, Lebanon.
Shady Asmar: Research and Development Department, Dairy Khoury, Metn, Lebanon.
Adla Jammoul: Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, Fanar, Lebanon.
Rola Jammoul: Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, Fanar, Lebanon.
Hamad Hassan: Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon; Minister's Office, Ministry of Public Health, Beirut, Lebanon.
Mireille Serhan: Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Balamand, Koura, Lebanon.

doi: www.doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2021.1644-1649

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Article history: Received: 01-03-2021, Accepted: 28-05-2021; Published online: 25-06-2021

Corresponding author: Mireille Serhan

E-mail: mireille.serhan@balamand.edu.lb

Citation: Hassan HF, Saidy L, Haddad R, Hosri C, Asmar S, Jammoul A, Jammoul R, Hassan H, Serhan M (2021) Investigation of the effects of some processing conditions on the fate of oxytetracycline and tylosin antibiotics in the making of commonly consumed cheeses from the East Mediterranean, Veterinary World, 14(6): 1644-1649.
Abstract

Background and Aim: Transfer of antibiotics from raw milk to derived products is directly related to the processes involved in the manufacturing of dairy products, including East Mediterranean cheeses, since these have particular flow diagrams of production. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of skimming, pasteurization, curding, pressing, salting, cheese boiling, and whey acidification/heating on two widely used antibiotics in Lebanon, oxytetracycline (OTC) and tylosin (TYL), in the manufacture of commonly consumed cheeses in the East Mediterranean.

Materials and Methods: Four hundred and fifty kilograms of full-fat bovine milk were spiked with OTC and TYL, then skimmed and pasteurized using holder and high-temperature short-time (HTST) methods. Milk was then processed to make cheeses (23 kg Baladi, 20 kg Akkawi, 20 kg Halloum, and 18 kg Double Cream). Liquid chromatography–mass-spectrometry was used to measure antibiotics. Analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences v25.

Results: Skimming significantly (p=0.015) decreased TYL concentration by 68.6%. OTC degradation during holder (41- 54%) proved to be significant (p=0.015). HTST had a significant (p=0.012) effect on TYL with 32% degradation. Curding step in making Baladi had a significant (p=0.028) effect on OTC only with the concentration increasing by 1.5-fold. Acidification and heating of whey to produce Double Cream decreased significantly (p=0.037) OTC concentration (14.7- 46.3%), while TYL concentration increased significantly (p=0.000) by 300%. Pressing and salting in making Akkawi did not have any significant effect, while cheese boiling in making Halloum significantly decreased both antibiotics.

Conclusion: OTC is transferred to Baladi and Akkawi (curd based) mainly, while double cream (whey based) has a high level of TYL transfer. Hence, people who consume these cheeses excessively could be exposed to high amounts of both antibiotics and thus be prone to their detrimental effect on health.

Keywords: antibiotics, cheeses, liquid chromatography–mass-spectrometry, oxytetracycline, processing, tylosin.