Effect of Flaxseed Mucilage and Gum Arabic on Probiotic Survival and Quality of Kefir during Cold Storage

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the survival of probiotic cultures in kefir. Kefir is a fermented dairy product, and in this study we incorporated nutritionally rich flaxseed mucilage and gum arabic as a prebiotic, then monitored for improvement in the the viability of <i>Lactobacillus acidophilus</i> and <i>Bifidobacterium lactis.</i> In addition, some physicochemical variables of kefir were investigated. The addition of flaxseed mucilage and gum arabic significantly (<i>p</i> ˂ 0.05) increased the growth of both <i>Lactobacillus acidophilus</i> and <i>Bifidobacterium lactis</i> compared to the control. Samples enriched with flaxseed mucilage and gum arabic had significantly (<i>p</i> ˂ 0.05) reduced pH and increased viscosity. Flaxseed mucilage and gum arabic significantly (<i>p</i> ˂ 0.05) changed the color parameters L*, a*, and b*. However, as the concentration of flaxseed mucilage increased, the L* value decreased. Moreover, adding flaxseed mucilage and gum arabic into kefir increased (<i>p</i> ˂ 0.05) the protein content. These results showed that flaxseed mucilage and gum arabic could be used to increase the survival of probiotic cultures in kefir without changing its physicochemical properties.