EFFECT OF GUM ARABIC AS PREBIOTIC ON PROBIOTICS AND QUALITY OF YOGHURT DURING COLD STORAGE

This study was conducted to determine the effect of gum Arabic concentrations (0%, 0.7%, 0.9%or 1%)  as prebiotic in yoghurt quality and probiotics, experiments were conducted using fresh cow’s milk with 3% starter culture during cold storage in two types of yoghurt (plain  and Flavored). The physicochemical parameters included: (moisture, ash content, total solids content, crude protein, fat content, lactose content, pH value and titratable acidity) were measured. Whereas microbial analyses were achieved including: total viable bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, total coliform, E.coli bacteria, yeasts and moulds, as well as the sensory evaluation of produced yoghurt was done. The results showed that no significant difference (p≤0.05) in all parameters. While showed significant difference (p≤0.05) in moisture content in the first day.  While the addition of Gum Arabic on yoghurt samples during cold storage led to decreased in total viable bacteria, lactic acid bacteria and improve the quality and microbial properties through increasing the percentage of total solids, protein, fat, lactose and free from total coliform, yeast and mould. Organoleptic properties of the yogurt increased as the percentage of GA advanced in all tested samples. Yogurt produced using (1%) GA had acceptable characteristics. Addition of Gum Arabic to yoghurt product led to improve the quality and microbial properties. This improvement could be due to high amount of uronides.