UTILIZATION OF Lactobacillus casei AND STARTER CULTURE IN ELABORATION OF YOGHURT SUPPLEMENTED WITH INULIN AND OLIGOFRUCTOSE

Abstract

The aim of this work was to elaborate a skimmed symbiotic yoghurt, using starter culture (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophillus), Lactobacillus casei as probiotic microorganism and inulin and oligofructose as prebiotic ingredients. The probiotics characteristics (acid and bile resistance) of L. casei and the number of lactic acid bacterias in the product had been tested, as well as the physicochemical characteristics of the yoghurt (pH, acidity, chemical composition and viscosity). Acceptance tests had been carried out with the symbiotic yoghurt added with strawberry pulp and flavour, and two different types of sweetening agents. The yoghurt supplemented with prebiotics presented pH 4.33, acidity of 1.15% and amount of lactic acid bacteria superior to the minimum necessary to characterize it as probiotic. L. casei showed resistance to acid and bile, confirming important probiotics characteristics. The prebiotic yoghurt presented higher viscosity than the not supplemented one. There was no significant difference between the acceptance (above 80%) of yoghurts sweetened with the two types of sweetening agents.