title: Use of lactulose as prebiotic and its influence on the growth, acidification profile and viable counts of different probiotics in fermented skim milk.
abstract: Lactulose can be considered as a prebiotic, which is able to stimulate healthy intestinal microflora. In the present work, the use of this ingredient in fermented milk improved quality of skim milk fermented by Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Bifidobacterium lactis in co-culture with Streptococcus thermophilus. Compared to control fermentations without lactulose, the addition of such a prebiotic in skim milk increased the counts of all probiotics, with particular concern to B. lactis (bifidogenic effect), the acidification rate and the lactic acid acidity, and concurrently reduced the time to complete fermentation (t(pH4.5)) and the pH at the end of cold storage for 1 to 35 days.
authors.affiliation: Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Technology Department, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo University, Av Prof Lineu Prestes 580, Bl 16, 05508-900 São Paulo, Brazil. rpsolive@usp.br
authors.forename: Ricardo Pinheiro
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: De Souza Oliveira
authors.forename: Ana Carolina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Rodrigues Florence
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Perego
authors.forename: Maricê Nogueira
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: De Oliveira
authors.forename: Attilio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Converti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005285:Fermentation; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D007792:Lactulose / Q000378:metabolism*; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology*; D056692:Prebiotics; D019936:Probiotics
chemical_list: D056692:Prebiotics; D019344:Lactic Acid; D007792:Lactulose