Enhancing Probiotic Viability in Yogurt: The Role of Apple Fibers in Supporting <i>Lacticaseibacillus casei</i> ATCC 393 During Storage and Gastrointestinal Transit
Probiotics are widely recognized for their health benefits, but their viability during food processing and digestion poses significant challenges. The present study evaluated the impact of incorporating apple fibers into yogurt on the viability of the probiotic strain <i>Lacticaseibacillus cas...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| author | Dimitra Dimitrellou Eleni Sakadani Panagiotis Kandylis |
| author_facet | Dimitra Dimitrellou Eleni Sakadani Panagiotis Kandylis |
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| description | Probiotics are widely recognized for their health benefits, but their viability during food processing and digestion poses significant challenges. The present study evaluated the impact of incorporating apple fibers into yogurt on the viability of the probiotic strain <i>Lacticaseibacillus casei</i> ATCC 393 during production, storage, and simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Apple fibers, a by-product of apple processing, were used as a prebiotic ingredient due to their functional and technological benefits. The incorporation of apple fibers increased probiotic viability during 28 days of refrigerated storage, improving it from 90.4% in the control yogurt to 93.9%. Under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, yogurt alone acted as a protective matrix, preserving probiotic viability, during gastric (71.0% at pH 2 after 3 h) and intestinal digestion (73.3% at 0.3% bile salts after 6 h). The inclusion of apple fibers further enhanced this protection, reducing probiotic viability loss in both gastric (81.9% at pH 2 after 3 h) and intestinal (79.0% at 0.3% bile salts after 6 h) environments. Similar results were obtained using the INFOGEST 2.0 static protocol. After the completion of the protocol (oral, gastric and intestinal phase) a viability of 71.1% (6.61 logCFU/g) was observed in the yogurt with apple fibers compared to 64.5% (6.10 logCFU/g) in the control yogurt. This enhanced protection could be attributed to the potential prebiotic properties of apple fibers, including their pectin and cellulose content, which may shield probiotics from acidic and enzymatic degradation. These findings highlight the potential of apple fiber-enriched yogurt as a functional food that supports probiotic viability during storage and throughout gastrointestinal transit. These insights may open the way for developing new food products with enhanced health benefits, aligning with growing consumer demand for functional foods. |
| format | Article |
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| spelling | doaj-art-493f1ef1cf81402b848839acf086b5d12025-08-20T02:12:25ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582025-01-0114337610.3390/foods14030376Enhancing Probiotic Viability in Yogurt: The Role of Apple Fibers in Supporting <i>Lacticaseibacillus casei</i> ATCC 393 During Storage and Gastrointestinal TransitDimitra Dimitrellou0Eleni Sakadani1Panagiotis Kandylis2Department of Food Science and Technology, Ionian University, GR-28100 Argostoli, GreeceDepartment of Food Science and Technology, Ionian University, GR-28100 Argostoli, GreeceDepartment of Food Science and Technology, Ionian University, GR-28100 Argostoli, GreeceProbiotics are widely recognized for their health benefits, but their viability during food processing and digestion poses significant challenges. The present study evaluated the impact of incorporating apple fibers into yogurt on the viability of the probiotic strain <i>Lacticaseibacillus casei</i> ATCC 393 during production, storage, and simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Apple fibers, a by-product of apple processing, were used as a prebiotic ingredient due to their functional and technological benefits. The incorporation of apple fibers increased probiotic viability during 28 days of refrigerated storage, improving it from 90.4% in the control yogurt to 93.9%. Under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, yogurt alone acted as a protective matrix, preserving probiotic viability, during gastric (71.0% at pH 2 after 3 h) and intestinal digestion (73.3% at 0.3% bile salts after 6 h). The inclusion of apple fibers further enhanced this protection, reducing probiotic viability loss in both gastric (81.9% at pH 2 after 3 h) and intestinal (79.0% at 0.3% bile salts after 6 h) environments. Similar results were obtained using the INFOGEST 2.0 static protocol. After the completion of the protocol (oral, gastric and intestinal phase) a viability of 71.1% (6.61 logCFU/g) was observed in the yogurt with apple fibers compared to 64.5% (6.10 logCFU/g) in the control yogurt. This enhanced protection could be attributed to the potential prebiotic properties of apple fibers, including their pectin and cellulose content, which may shield probiotics from acidic and enzymatic degradation. These findings highlight the potential of apple fiber-enriched yogurt as a functional food that supports probiotic viability during storage and throughout gastrointestinal transit. These insights may open the way for developing new food products with enhanced health benefits, aligning with growing consumer demand for functional foods.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/3/376gastric fluidintestinal fluidINFOGEST static protocolbile saltsfunctional foodsprebiotic properties |
| spellingShingle | Dimitra Dimitrellou Eleni Sakadani Panagiotis Kandylis Enhancing Probiotic Viability in Yogurt: The Role of Apple Fibers in Supporting <i>Lacticaseibacillus casei</i> ATCC 393 During Storage and Gastrointestinal Transit Foods gastric fluid intestinal fluid INFOGEST static protocol bile salts functional foods prebiotic properties |
| title | Enhancing Probiotic Viability in Yogurt: The Role of Apple Fibers in Supporting <i>Lacticaseibacillus casei</i> ATCC 393 During Storage and Gastrointestinal Transit |
| title_full | Enhancing Probiotic Viability in Yogurt: The Role of Apple Fibers in Supporting <i>Lacticaseibacillus casei</i> ATCC 393 During Storage and Gastrointestinal Transit |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing Probiotic Viability in Yogurt: The Role of Apple Fibers in Supporting <i>Lacticaseibacillus casei</i> ATCC 393 During Storage and Gastrointestinal Transit |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing Probiotic Viability in Yogurt: The Role of Apple Fibers in Supporting <i>Lacticaseibacillus casei</i> ATCC 393 During Storage and Gastrointestinal Transit |
| title_short | Enhancing Probiotic Viability in Yogurt: The Role of Apple Fibers in Supporting <i>Lacticaseibacillus casei</i> ATCC 393 During Storage and Gastrointestinal Transit |
| title_sort | enhancing probiotic viability in yogurt the role of apple fibers in supporting i lacticaseibacillus casei i atcc 393 during storage and gastrointestinal transit |
| topic | gastric fluid intestinal fluid INFOGEST static protocol bile salts functional foods prebiotic properties |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/3/376 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dimitradimitrellou enhancingprobioticviabilityinyogurttheroleofapplefibersinsupportingilacticaseibacilluscaseiiatcc393duringstorageandgastrointestinaltransit AT elenisakadani enhancingprobioticviabilityinyogurttheroleofapplefibersinsupportingilacticaseibacilluscaseiiatcc393duringstorageandgastrointestinaltransit AT panagiotiskandylis enhancingprobioticviabilityinyogurttheroleofapplefibersinsupportingilacticaseibacilluscaseiiatcc393duringstorageandgastrointestinaltransit |