Technological and antioxidant characteristics of milk curds coagulated with fresh fig latex under different coagulation conditions

• Fresh Ficus carica latex effectively coagulated cow milk. • Latex-induced curds showed lower yield but higher phenolic enrichment than rennet. • The highest antioxidant activity occurred at 45 °C, pH 5.8, with 300 µL latex. • Fig latex produced softer, less cohesive curds with reduced springiness and chewines. Plant-derived milk coagulants have received growing attention as natural alternatives to rennet, yet limited information is available regarding the technological and antioxidant characteristics of curds produced with Ficus carica latex. This study evaluated the milk-clotting ability of fresh Ficus carica latex and its influence on the physicochemical, textural, and antioxidant properties of milk curds produced under different coagulation conditions (latex dosage: 200–300 µL; pH: 5.8–6.2; temperature: 32–45 °C). Coagulation time ranged from 15 min (45 °C, pH 6.2, 300 µL) to 52 min (32 °C, pH 5.8, 300 µL). Fig latex did not markedly affect final pH (6.00–6.11), and the highest curd yield (15.0 %) was achieved with 300 µL latex at 45 °C and pH 5.8, while the rennet-induced sample yielded 15.9 % under standard conditions. Latex addition significantly increased TPC values (up to 374 mg GAE/kg), whereas 200 µL resulted in lower TPC levels (149 mg GAE/kg). Fig latex–induced curds exhibited distinct mechanical properties, with generally lower hardness, cohesiveness, and chewiness values than the rennet-induced curd. Therefore, Ficus carica latex may represent a potential plant-derived milk coagulant, particularly for applications in fresh or soft-type cheeses, and the results suggest that antioxidant-related properties of curds can be enhanced without additional enrichment steps.