Probiotication of mango and sapota juices using Lactobacillus plantarum NCDC LP 20

Abstract

The objective of this study was to find out the suitability of different fruit juices for probiotication using proven probiotic bacteria. Lactobacillus plantarum NCDC LP 20 was observed to be able not only to survive but also to utilise fruit juices for their cell synthesis, as indicated by a decrease in fruit sugars and pH and increase in acidity. Further analysis by the DPPH method indicated superior antioxidant activity in both mango and sapota fruit juices. Probiotication of fruit juices with Lb. plantarum decreased the pH (4.3 to 3.2) and increased titratable acidity (0.49 to 0.66) within 72 h. Physico-chemical properties were also determined at different time intervals (24, 48 and 72 h) during probiotication. After probiotication, higher total phenolic content was observed in sapota juice (145 mg/ml) than mango juice (60.24 mg/ml) at 72 h. The study affirms the ability of fruit juices,especially mango and sapota juices, to undergo the process of probiotication with Lb. plantarum and exhibit better overall health quotients compared to raw juices. The agar-well-diffusion method showed that probioticated mango juice and sapota juice were able to inhibit the growth of most of the selected bacterial test cultures; especially, they showed significant antibacterial activity against three test microorganisms. Sensory evaluation studies showed that probioticated mango juice was preferred to sapota juice. Based on the results, it can be concluded that these probiotic juices could be used as functional healthy beverages, especially for people allergic to dairy products, lactose intolerant or diabetic.