# Microbiological and Sensory Quality of Artisanal Sour Cream
## 3 Results and Discussion
### Physicochemical Composition of the Cream
Their study emphasised the predominance of butyric and other short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in dairy fats, while polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) typically appear in lower concentrations. In line with known biosynthetic pathways, SCFAs (C4:0-C16:0) are synthesised de novo in the under, while long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs; >C18:0) are derived from the bloodstream. Of the over 400 fatty acids identified in cow's milk, butyric acid, produced via biohydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids in the rumen, and oleic acid, formed by desaturation of stearic acid in the udder, are the most prominent. Although unsaturated fatty acids are less abundant, linoleic and \(\alpha\)-linolenic acids are the most notable among them. The results from this study show slight differences compared to those of [PERSON] et al. [31], who reported average SFA contents in cream samples as follows: butyric acid 3.69%, caproic 2.50%, caprylic 1.37%, capric 2.89%, lauric 3.58%, myristic 11.63%, pentadecylic 1.21%, palmitic 32.57%, and stearic acid 9.47%. While most SFAs in our study were present in slightly higher concentrations, butyric and stearic acids were somewhat lower. The total SFA content in this study averaged 66.05%, which is approximately 4.1% lower than the 70.15% reported by [PERSON] et al. [31]. Nonetheless, the results align with those of [PERSON] et al. [32], who reported over 55% SFA content in fermented cream samples. Overall, the high SFA content, particularly of butyric, myristic, palmitic, and stearic acids, reflects a characteristic feature of dairy products. These elevated levels are largely attributed to specific metabolic and microbial processes in ruminants, which shape the fatty acid profile of milk and its derivatives. The most abundant monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) identified in the cream samples were myristoleic acid (C14:1), palmitoleic acid (C16:1), and oleic acid (C18:1n9), while other MUFAs such as pentadecanoic acid (C15:1), heptadecenoic (C17:1), gadoleic (C20:1n9), erucic (C22:1n9), and nervonic acid (C24:1n9) were detected in fewer sam \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Sample**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**MUFA**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**PUFA**} \\ \cline{2-6}  & **C14:1** & **C16:1** & **C18:1n9** & **C18:2n6** & **C18:3n3** \\ \hline  
\hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid content (g/100 fat). ples. Among the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), linoleic acid (C18:2n6) and alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3n3) were the most abundant, while there sach as gamma-linolenic acid (C18:3n6), eicosadienoic acid (C20:2), dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (C20:3n6), arachidonic acid (C20:4n6), eicosatrienoic acid (C20:3n3), eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n3), and docosadenoic acid (C22:2) were present in lower concentrations. According to [PERSON] et al. [31], the MUFA content in sour cream purchased in April was 23.37 g/100 g, while the PUFA content was 2.65 g/100 g. In comparison, the results of the present study (Table 4) indicate slightly higher values: 26.86 g/100 g for MUFAs and 2.71 g/100 g for PUFAs. These findings suggest that the sour cream samples collected during the spring period may contain a slightly higher proportion of unsaturated fatty acids compared to those obtained in the summer months. Indeed, the fatty acid composition of milk and cream is strongly influenced by the animal's diet [33]. For example, winter feeding with concentrated rations typically results in a lower proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, whereas summer feeding with green, protein- and fibre-rich forage tends to increase their presence in milk. However, dietary differences alone cannot fully explain the variations in fatty acid composition, as multiple factors are involved. Health status, particularly under conditions such as mastitis, can significantly alter milk composition due to impaired fatty acid synthesis within the mammary gland.