Authors
Title
Abstract
A high biological activity of wild garlic and its extracts as well as the occurrence of chemical compounds with prohealth properties makes this plant a good raw material for the manufacture of functional products and dietary supplements. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different doses of wild garlic (Allium ursinum) on some selected properties of milk fermented with Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. Lactis Bb-12. To the milk fermented with Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis Bb-12, wild garlic was added in the amount of 0.5 % and 1.0 %; the control sample of fermented milk contained no wild garlic. Those fermented milks with and without wild garlic were assessed. The analysis of the fermented milk quality was performed on the first and the twenty-first day of storing them at a temperature of 5 ºC. The milk samples with wild garlic added met the criterion of therapeutic minimum, i.e. they contained more than 6 log jtk g-1 of Bifidobacterium. The milk containing 1 % of wild garlic was characterized by the highest count of bacterial cells both on the first and the twenty-first day of storage. A significantly lower number of the strain tested was determined in the control sampled of the fermented milk. On the 21st day of storage, in the fermented milk with 1 % addition of wild garlic, the amount of Bb-12 was reduced to a level of 0.86 log·jtk g-1. Regarding the milk with 0.5 % addition of wild garlic, the difference was lower but also significant and amounted to 0.2 log·jtk g-1. In the control sample of milk, the population of Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis did not change significantly during storage. The fermented milk with wild garlic was characterized by a higher syneresis and a higher pH value as well as by a lower hardness of gel compared to the control milk. Wild garlic gave the milk a distinctive taste and aroma of garlic and a tone of green. Thus, it can be applied as a bioactive component to manufacture Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis Bb-12-fermented milk beverages having sensory characteristics appearing attractive to consumers.
Keywords
Bifidobacterium Bb-12, wild garlic, fermented milk, therapeutic minimum of probiotic bacteria