The determination of water‐soluble vitamins and in vitro digestibility of selected Czech cheeses

Water‐soluble vitamins, in vitro organic matter digestibility (OMD) and dry matter digestibility (DMD) values were determined in various different Czech cheeses. An HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of niacin, pantothenic acid and pyridoxine in cheese was established. Different hydrolysis conditions and enzymes were used to release these vitamins from their complex form. The cheeses contained on average 2.04 mg of niacin, 3.24 mg of pantothenic acid and 2.16 mg of pyridoxine per 100 g of fresh mass. An enzymatic method was applied for the evaluation of OMD and DMD in cheeses. In vitro digestibility values ranged from 83.29% to 99.99% for organic matter (OMD) and 83.33% to 99.87% for dry matter (DMD) after two different enzymatic digestions (pepsin, pancreatin). In addition, cheeses incubated with pepsin plus pancreatin, OMD and DMD were strongly digested (99.04–99.83%, 97.73–99.74%).