ALTERNATIVE FOOD MATRIX FOR PROBIOTIC DELIVERY

Functional foods have increased the interest of consumers and fruit pulps enriched with probiotic strains is a trend. Inconvenient milk consumption characteristics such as lactose intolerance, presence of allergenic milk proteins and high cholesterol, as well as the increase in vegetarian consumers, have been encouraging researchers to seek other non-dairy matrices as a vehicle for probiotics. Brazilian berries is a food with high nutritional potential, being a source of carbohydrates, fibers, proteins, lipids and vitamins and minerals, with several health benefits, as antioxidant activity. The objective of this work was to evaluate the survival of five strains of lactic acid bacteria with probiotic potential in frozen Brazilian berries pulp (Açaí) during 180 days. About 108CFU / mL of each strain was added in two types of açaí pulp (creamy and traditional). The samples were frozen at -20 °C and the number of survivors estimated at time (0, 7, 30, 60, 90 and 180 days). The experiment was performed in triplicate. There was no difference between the types of açaí in the strains survival. No strain had a reduction greater than 1 log CFU / mL during the 180 days of storage showing good survival. Brazilian berries pulp (Açaí) is a potential food to be used as vehicle for probiotics.