Effect of storage on sensory quality, pH, wheying-off and probiotic count of lassi supplemented with Aloe barbadensis Miller

Abstract

Worldwide there is a huge demand for fermented dairy products incorporated with probiotics and herbs. The commercial success of these products mainly depends on their taste and appeal which are affected by storage conditions employed. In the present study, sensory, physico-chemical and probiotic counts in Aloe barbadensis Miller supplemented probiotic lassi (APL) stored at 5±1°C were evaluated. During 12 days of storage period, probiotic counts decreased from 8.4 log cfu/ml on initial day to 8.0 cfu/ml on 12^th day. pH of APL gradually decreased while wheying-off increased progressively throughout the storage. Scores of all sensory attributes decreased to below 7, minimum level of acceptance set on nine-point hedonic scale. APL was rejected after 9 days of storage by the sensory panelists owing to its unacceptable sensory quality. PCA reduced eight original variables into two principal components which accounted for 99.937% of the total variations. Instrumental wheying-off (-ve) and pH (-ve) were loaded heavily on principal component 1 indicating strong relation among these variables. Correlation analysis also revealed that instrumental wheying-off and pH were strongly dependent on each other with highest Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r=-0.962, p<0.01).