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Proteases from Cynara cardunculus L. are used in cheese-making. The growth of C. cardunculus cell suspension culture and the production of proteases and phenols were studied in sucrose-limited chemostat cultures at two dilution rates. Biomass yields and biomass and protease productivities in chemostat cultures were compared with those in batch cultures. C. cardunculus cells showed a high ability to adapt to chemostat conditions. Phenolic production was not observed in the steady-state cultures of C. cardunculus cell cultures in contrast to batch cultures. Protease production was linked to the exponential growth phase and was higher and more stable in sucrose-limited chemostats than in batch culture.

The production of cheese involves two stages:1) the enzymatic hydrolysis of K casein in which its micelle is desestabilized and 2) its subsequent aggregation. In most cases, this operation is carried out by microbial proteases, being used also, animal and plant enzymes.