Characterization of yoghurt supplemented with Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus as a bioprotective antifungal culture

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play a very important role as natural bio-preservatives in foods. Accordingly, the inhibitory effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus) on 4 fungi species of Yarrowia, Penicillium expansum (P. expansum), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae), Aspergillus niger (A. niger), Kluyveromyces lactis (K. lactis) was investigated. Then P. expansum was selected as the most important contaminant mould in yoghurt to study the use of L. rhamnosus to reduce selective spoilage of P. expansum in yoghurt. Also, the effect of this bioprotective culture on the count of starter bacteria and some characteristics of yoghurt was determined. L. rhamnosus (106 cfu /mL) was inoculated into the milk along with yoghurt starter bacteria, so that four samples were produced T0 (L. rhamnosus = 0, P. expansum = 0), T1 (L. rhamnosus = 106 cfu/mL, P. expansum = 0), T2 (L. rhamnosus = 0, P. expansum = 105cfu/mL); T3 (L. rhamnosus = 106 cfu/mL, P. expansum = 105cfu/mL). All samples were analysed for pH, acidity, viscosity, syneresis, microbial (survival of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus and P. expansum) and overall acceptability. L. rhamnosus had an inhibitory effect on the survival of P. expansum (p<0.05) but was not able to completely control it. L. rhamnosus in T3 sample had an inhibitory effect from the first day to the end of storage. Furthermore, during the storage, the survival of yoghurt starter bacteria in probiotic yoghurt samples was higher than the control (p<0.05). T3 had lower pH, viscosity and overall acceptability score compared to the control and its syneresis was higher (p<0.05). In general, the addition of 106 cfu/mL of L. rhamnosus did not have a complete inhibitory effect on P. expansum (105 CFU/mL) until the end of storage time.