Production of Paraprobiotic and Probiotic Yogurts Containing Lactiplantibacillus plantarum: Investigation of Their Microbial and Physicochemical Characteristics

 Functional foods refer to foods enriched with substances such as vitamins, proteins, fibers and probiotics with the intervention of technology.

Paraprobiotic cells were achieved using thermal method. Probiotic and paraprobiotic yogurt were produced from low-fat milk and samples were stored at 4 °C for 7 d. Then, microbiological and physicochemical (pH, acidity, syneresis, water holding capacity, color and texture) characteristics of the samples were assessed on Days 0 and 7.

Until the end of the storage in the two samples, pH decreased, acidity increased, syneresis decreased and water holding capacity increased. Live and killed Lactiplantibacillus plantarum cells included similar effects on the yogurt color. Texture analysis showed no statistically significant differences (P ˃ 0.05) between the two samples and all three parameters of hardness, consistency and adhesion increased in the two samples. Results of counting live cells showed statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) between the two yogurt samples; however, number of the live cells in the two yogurt samples increased until the end of Day 7.

Paraprobiotic cells can be used to produce yogurts due to their health and technological advantages, long shelf life, simplicity of work, lack of side effects and sensitivity to the environmental conditions. It seems that they can be used as appropriate alternatives to probiotics in development of functional yogurts. However further clinical studies should be carried out to verify health benefits of paraprobiotics.