Addition of inulin to probiotic yogurt: Viability of probiotic bacteria (Bifidobacterium bifidum) and sensory characteristics.

The objective of this work was to study the effect of different concentrations of inulin (0.2, 0.4, and 0.6%) on the viability of probiotic bacteria (Bifidobacterium bifidum) and sensory characteristics of probiotic yogurt. The yogurt was manufactured with Lactobacillus delbruckii ssp. bulgaricus (Lb), Streptococcus thermophilus (St), and Bifidobacterium bifidum (Bb). Raw milk was received, heated to 90°C, and divided into 4 aliquots portions. All portions were inoculated with 5.11 log cfu of Lb and St combined and 5 log cfu of Bb per kg of milk. The first portion was utilized as control (T1) while 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6% of inulin were added to the second (T2), third (T3), and fourth (T4) portions, respectively. All treatments were incubated at 40°C until a pH of 4.6 was reached. Subsequently, the yogurt was cooled and stored at 4°C for 16 days. Titratable acidity, total bacterial count (TBC), Bb count, yeast count, mold count, and sensory evaluation were determined during the storage. The results showed that the addition of inulin and the storage period have significant effects (p < .05) on the titratable acidity of the yogurt. The storage of control was ended after 8 days at 4°C due to the growth of molds on the surface of the samples. The TBC decreased (p < .05) over time in control from 8.28 to 7.97 log cfu/g. It was also decreased (p < .05) with increasing the concentration of inulin. However, the addition of inulin increased (p < .05) the viability of Bb during the storage, as well as, acted as an antimicrobial against molds in T2, T3, and T4. Additionally, there were no significant differences (p > .05) in the sensory evaluation of all treatments. We conclude that inulin can be utilized in the manufacturing of probiotic yogurt as a prebiotic, which, inturn, enhances the growth of Bb and increase the shelf-life.