Selection of a prebiotic and Lactobacillus acidophilus for synbiotic yoghurt preparation

This study evaluated the effect of inulin, oligofructose and honey in enhancing the growth and activity of Lactobacillus acidophilus strains to select a suitable prebiotic for the development of synbiotic yoghurt. While testing the compatibility of L. acidophilus NCDC13 and 291 with yoghurt starters (Lactobacillus bulgaricus NCDC 09 and Streptococcus thermophilus NCDC 74; L. bulgaricus NCDC 305 and S. thermophilus NCDC 311), NCDC 13 was selected along with NCDC 09 and 74. The growth and activities of L. acidophilus NCDC 13 were determined in presence of inulin, oligofructose and honey (0 to 5%). Of the different concentrationsof prebiotics, 3% inulin resulted in better growth and acid production. The results suggested that inulin and L. acidophilus NCDC 13 can be a good prebiotic-probiotic combination for the preparation of synbioticyoghurt and the strain compatibility between probiotic and yoghurt culture in presence of prebiotic is the key for the production of synbiotic yoghurt.