DEVELOPMENT OF PROBIOTIC ICE CREAM FORMULATED WITH WATER-SOLUBLE SOY EXTRACT: EVALUATION OF Lactobacillus delbrueckii UFV H2B20 VIABILITY

Currently, the demand for healthy and functional foods is increasing. In this context, probiotics products become a viable supplementation and ice creams present great potential as probiotic microorganisms vehicle, considering its high acceptability by people at different ages. Studies about foods made with soybeans have demonstrated scientific evidences of benefit to human health, including low the cholesterol level, good digestibility, source of calcium and high fiber and protein content. Therefore, this work aimed to develop probiotic ice cream formulated with different soybeans water-soluble extracts (in natura and fermented), using Lactobacillus delbrueckii strain UFV H2B20. Firstly, fermentative performance (pH and titratable acidity) of 5 Lactobacilli strains in medium formulated with soybenas water-soluble extracts (ESL and ES60) were evaluated. Results demonstrated that these extracts are suitable for formulation of fermentation media. Subsequently, probiotic ice creams formulated with the respective medium ESL and ESL60 in natura and fermented (ESL F and ES60 F) extracts were processed using L.delbrueckii UFV H2B20. In this approach, a cell suspension of Lactobacillus was added to the syrup made with soybeans extract in natura before beating and freezing steps This ice cream were stored at -23ºC for 5 months and evaluated in terms of centesimal composition and Lactobacillus cell viability periodically. Results showed that the centesimal composition of ice cream was in agreement with the standard of ice creams identity established by ANVISA, presenting 2.5% protein, 5.0 - 6.0% fat and 36.0% total solid content. The results also showed that the probiotic ice cream preserved viable cells higher than 106 CFU/g during the storage time. A reduction of cell number was observed, lower than a logarithmic cycle, during 150 days of storage at -23ºC. These results revealed that that soybean water-soluble extract is adequate for the formulation of culture medium for probiotic microorganisms, and presents great potential for probiotic ice creams preparation with some technology adaptations.