Combination of the nutritional qualities of bulgarian yogurt and the immunostimulating properties of phycocyanin

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to combine the nutritional qualities of Bulgarian yogurt with the immunostimulating properties of phycocyanin in order to design a new dairy product with potential functional charcteristics. Materials and methods: Yogurt samples with a fat content of 1.7% and 3.7% and the addition of phycocyanin extracted from Spirulina platensis were examined for the presence of some pathogens by microbiological methods according to Bulgarian State Standard (BSS), their color difference with the control was evaluated by a spectrophotometric method. A sensory analysis was conducted to assess smell, taste, consistency and color evaluation. Results: The addition of phycocyanin led to decrease in the pH values of the new dairy product. All samples and controls were microbiologically clean. Color differences were observed between controls and samples after the addition of phycocyanin. Conclusions: Bulgarian yogurt is a suitable product for phycocyanin enrichment, due to its traditionally high consumption. The current research recommend phycocyanin concentrations of 10% and 15% at 3.7% milk fat as suitable for obtaining a new lactic acid dairy product product.