The effect of yoghurt culture on the survival of probiotic bacteria in oat-based, non-dairy products

The survival of the probiotic strains Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730, Lactobacillus acidophilus DSM 20079 and Bifidobacterium bifidum DSM 20456, all of human origin, were investigated in three different oat-based, non-dairy products (Adavena M40, MG20 and G40). The products were fermented by the three strains with and without the presence of a commercial yoghurt culture (V2). Samples were stored at 6 degreesC up to 30 days. In general, the oat-based products were shown to be a suitable support for these intestinal bacteria. L. reuteri ATCC 55730 had the highest viability in all of the products investigated. After 30 days the cell viability of L. reuteri ATCC 55730 was 10(8) CFU ml(-1) in all three oat-based products. Lower viability was seen when the strains were grown in the presence of the yoghurt culture compared to when they were grown as pure cultures. These products also exhibited a lower pH value in comparison to products fermented with the pure cultures. The milisation of the main fermentable carbohydrates in the products varied across the bacterial strains. A decrease in beta-glucan content was seen for the products fermented by the B. bifidum DSM 20456 strain. This work shows that these oat-bases with different mono- and disaccharide composition can be used to support the growth of human intestinal bacteria and also maintain high cell viability during cold storage. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.