Production of Probiotic (Turshi) Pickled Vegetables

In Iraq, people prepare turshi (fermented Iraqi vegetable pickles) from different vegetables such as cucumber, turnip, eggplants, cabbage, carrot and pepper. This study investigated the effect of adding probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus), synbiotic (Lactobacillus acidophilus + inulin) to Iraqi turshi product, on lactic acid bacteria counts, total count, yeasts and molds, pH values, organoleptic characteristics and the antagonistic activity of turshi against the pathogenic bacteria. Lactic acid bacteria counts were higher in synbiotic turshi log 9.68 cfu/ml comparing with log 9.54 cfu/ml and log 3.97 cfu/ml for probiotic and control turshi samples at the end of study period, respectively. Total count for control sample was higher (log 6.99 cfu/ml) comparing with probiotic and synbiotic samples (log 6.90 cfu/ml and log 6.52 cfu/ml) respectively after 30 days. It was observed that yeasts and molds counts for control sample were higher (log 2.39 cfu/ml) after 30 days, while probiotic and synbiotic samples were log 1.21 cfu/ml and log 0.71 cfu/ml respectively. pH values were close for both synbiotic (3.36) and probiotic (3.73) samples, while it was higher for control sample (4.53) after 30 days. The organoleptic characteristics were more acceptable for synbiotic sample followed by probiotic and control samples, respectively. The antagonistic activities of turshi samples against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were higher for synbiotic sample followed by probiotic and control samples, respectively. It was clear that synbiotic turshi was more desirable in all studied characteristics comparing with probiotic and control turshi and this finding reveals that synbiotic turshi could be used as a potential healthy product.