Abstract
Probiotic bacteria are used in the development of fermented products that can increase the nutritional value of the products. Thus, the aim of this study is to examine the effect of functional ingredients on the viability of L. acidophilus in nondairy products. Four nutritional drinks were prepared including date drink (D), date-coconut drink (DC50), date-oat drink (DO50), and mixture drink (M). The drinks were fermented with 1% of L. acidophilus ATCC 314. The products were analyzed for total fat and protein, pH, titratable acidity, antioxidant activity, sensory evaluation, and viable cell count during storage time at 4 degrees C. At the end of the storage period, L. acidophilus was able to survive above 10(7) CFU/mL in all products, the maximum growth was recorded in D drink which reached 10(9 )CFU/mL, followed by DO50 drink with 10(8) CFU/mL after 7 days of cold storage. The amount of lactic acid (%) increased in D, DC50, DO50, and M from (0.098, 0.027, 0.035, 0.034) to (0.159, 0.12, 0.138, 0.126) respectively. The increase in lactic acid content led to a reduction in the pH value of the products which confirmed the bacterial growth. The antioxidant activity assay indicated the addition of L. acidophilus to the products increased the antioxidant activity. The sensory evaluation showed that the consumers most preferred D and DC50 in taste and overall acceptability compared to other products DO50 and M. The present research will be used to develop a new nondairy probiotic product at low-cost with high nutritional value. Copyright (C) 2013 - All Rights Reserved - Pharmacophore