Effects of fermentation, ripening and storage on endocannabinoids and endocannabinoid-like compounds in different cheeses.

Endocannabinoids (ECs) and endocannabinoid-like (ECL) compounds are biologically active lipids derived from a range of fatty acids. This study aims to assess the levels and profile of ECs/ECL compounds across various cheeses, focusing particularly on how different processing steps such as fermentation, ripening, and storage affect their concentrations. Compared to commercial fresh and ripened cheeses, it was determined that ripening is of importance in shaping the profile of lipid signalling compounds. Ripened cheeses particularly Danish Blue were notably rich in N-acylamino acids due to occurring lipolysis and proteolysis during ripening. In addition, N-oleoylphenylalanine, N-linoleoylphenylalanine, N-oleoylleucine, and N-palmitoylglycine content increased during cheddar ripening. Furthermore, the concentration of 2-oleoylglycerol considerably decreased due to its degradation during fresh kashar cheese storage and incubation with starter cultures. This study provides information about the impacts of fermentation, ripening and storage on the profile of ECs/ECL compounds in foods and possible theories regarding how they arise.