Effect of plant antioxidants for the development of probiotic microorganisms in fermented drinks

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the flavonoid taxifolin in its original and encapsulated form on the formation of the antioxidant and probiotic properties of dairy products. The main source of probiotics are fermented dairy products, which form the most significant sector of functional foods. The development of a range of functional dairy products towards products with new properties, such as antioxidants, can be unpredictable for maintaining their probiotic properties. In the present study, the flavononol taxifolin was used as a functional ingredient of the antioxidant action, which was added to milk before the start of the fermentation process in the initial powder form and in the form encapsulated in beta-cyclodextrin and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin. For the fermentation of drinks, two types of starters of different composition were used: “Acidolact” and “Bifivit”. To assess the effect of various forms of taxifolin on the formation and preservation of the probiotic properties of fermented milk drinks, the content of probiotic microorganisms (MP, CFU/g) was determined according to the standard method in freshly prepared samples and after 7 days of storage at a temperature of (4 ± 1)°C. The antioxidant activity of the studied samples was also determined by the DPPH method. The results showed the possibility of obtaining probiotic fermented dairy products with antioxidant properties. The results obtained made it possible to establish the absence of a pronounced negative effect of the plant antioxidant taxifolin in its original and encapsulated form on the development of cultures of probiotic microorganisms in the system of fermented dairy products. There were no significant differences between the samples in the content of probiotics, all products met the requirements of the standards for functional probiotic products. After 7 days of storage, the content of probiotics decreased in all samples of fermented products, but remained at the level required for functional products. The highest AOA values were found for product samples with the addition of taxifolin in the original form (60 % higher than in control samples).