The effect of free and microencapsulated probiotics in orange juice containing 4% inulin as prebiotic substance was investigated for their effects on phytochemical of juice (total phenolic content, total anthocyanin, ascorbic acid and total carotenoids) and their antioxidant activity of fermented juices: Fermentation seemed to have a negative effect on the polyphenols content, the reduction in total phenolic content in synbiotic orange juice after 5 weeks of storage was 27.05 and 26.07% for orange juice with free L. acidophilus and orange juice with free L. plantarum, respectively. While, the reduction in total phenolic content in synbiotic orange juice after 5 weeks of storage was 21.66 and 20.79 % for immobilized L. acidophilus and immobilized L. plantarum, respectively. The reduction in ascorbic acid was less in fermented juices compared to un-inoculated samples. The reduction ranged from (44.70 and 44.30) and (45.11 and 44.70) mg/ 100 ml for synbiotic orange juice with free (L. acidophilus and L. plantarum) and immobilized (L. acidophilus and L. plantarum), respectively, after one day of cold storage to (38.94, 38.49, 39.17 and 39.17mg/ 100 ml synbiotic orange juice with free (L. acidophilus and L. plantarum) and immobilized (L. acidophilus and L. plantarum), respectively, after 5 weeks of cold storage. Fermentation did not effect on total carotenoids in orange juice during storage. The results reveal that the antioxidant activity was increased with increasing concentration of orange juice which indicates reducing potential of juices. Also, the antioxidant activity was found to increase with orange juice was inoculated by free and immobilized L. acidophilus and L. plantarum compared with un-inoculated orange juice.
Author(s): Sharoba AM, Bahlol HEM, Soliman AS, Radi OMM, and Soliman AHS