1Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for women, Coimbatore-641 043, Tamil Nadu, India.
2I/c Synbiotic Functional Foods and Bioremediation Research Laboratory, Dairy Microbiology Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal-132 001, Haryana, India.
*Corresponding Author: Karuthapandian Devi, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for women, Comibatore-641 043, Tamil Nadu, India. Email: devi_fsn@avinuty.ac.in
Prunus napaulensis, a wildly growing fruit of northeast India remains underutilized although widely consumed for health benefits. The present study attempted at development of bio-functional yoghurt with Prunus napaulensis fruit pulp.
Fruit yoghurt was formulated with optimized level of Prunus napaulensis pulp (% w/v) and culture of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (NCDC004) and Streptococcus thermophilus (NCDC075) (% w/v). The fruit yoghurt was determined for its phytochemical content and analyzed for its antioxidant activity (DPPH and FRAP assays), antidiabetic activity (α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition), anti-inflammatory activity (protein denaturation and protease inhibition) and antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli.
The incorporation of Prunus napaulensis in fruit yoghurt, as compared to control yoghurt, exhibited significant increase in the phytochemical content as well as its bioactivity properties. Fruit yoghurt exhibited significantly higher (p<0.05) antioxidant activity for DPPH and FRAP assay compared to those of control yoghurt. Antidiabetic activity in fruit yoghurt was demonstrated a significantly higher inhibition (p<0.05) of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes. Anti-inflammatory activity was higher as observed from a significantly higher per cent (p<0.05) of protein denaturation in fruit yoghurt than control yoghurt. Antimicrobial activity was significantly higher against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in fruit yoghurt than control yoghurt (p<0.05). These findings proved that the incorporation of Prunus napaulensis, an indigenous fruit of northeast India could be exploited in the development of biofunctional yoghurt with health benefits targeted on chronic diseases of public health threat.
Antidiabetic activity, Anti-inflammatory, Antimicrobial activity, Antioxidant activity, Fruit yoghurt, Prunus napaulensis
