Development and characterization of probiotic fermented smoothie beverage

ABSTRACT Dairy products are the primary delivery for probiotics, with great popularity among the public looking for functional foods. The addition of probiotics to new food matrices requires studies about the stability and viability of these microorganisms in the final product. This study aimed to develop a probiotic smoothie beverage and to evaluate the microbiological quality, pH, acidity, syneresis, probiotics viability, sensory acceptance, and consumers’ preference. For that, thirty-six beverage formulations were prepared using yogurt and different fruit pulps. Six formulations were selected for the study, as follows: probiotic yogurt with the addition of mango pulp, grape, red fruits (containing 8 and 10% sucrose), mango/passion fruit, and red fruits/açaí, using a yogurt/pulp ratio of 60/40 (w/w). The beverages presented adequate hygienic-sanitary quality, with an initial probiotics viability around 7 log CFU mL-1. An increase in acidity and a decrease in pH, as well as a higher rate of syneresis and a small decline in probiotic viability were observed for all formulations throughout 30 days of storage. The probiotic smoothie made with red fruit pulp (10% sugar) was selected due to its better sensory acceptance, and maintenance of probiotic counts to confer health benefits.

摘要：乳制品是益生菌（probiotics）的主要递送载体，在追求功能性食品的大众群体中广受欢迎。将益生菌添加至新型食品基质中时，需开展相关研究以探究此类微生物在终产品中的稳定性与存活能力。本研究旨在开发一款益生菌冰沙饮品，并对其微生物学品质、pH值、酸度、析水率（syneresis）、益生菌存活能力、感官接受度以及消费者偏好进行评估。为此，本研究以酸奶与不同果泥为原料，制备了36款饮品配方。最终选取6款配方开展本研究，具体如下：添加芒果果泥、葡萄果泥、红色混合果泥（分别添加8%与10%蔗糖）、芒果/西番莲果果泥以及红色混合果泥/巴西莓（açaí）果泥的益生菌酸奶饮品，其酸奶与果泥的质量比为60/40（w/w）。所有饮品均具备合格的卫生安全品质，初始益生菌存活量约为7 log CFU·mL⁻¹。在为期30天的储存过程中，所有配方饮品均呈现酸度上升、pH值下降的变化趋势，同时析水率升高，益生菌存活能力出现小幅下降。最终选取以10%蔗糖红色混合果泥制备的益生菌冰沙饮品，因其具备更优的感官接受度，且可维持益生菌数量以发挥健康益处。