Development of a fructan-supplemented synbiotic cabbage juice beverage fermented by Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12

Since, prophylactic properties and status of healthy food is generally attributed to cabbage and probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12, scientific research is needed for simultaneous application of vegetable and fruit juices and probiotic cultures for development of novel functional drinks especially taking into consideration growing demand for non-dairy fermented beverages. There are few reports on fermentation of vegetable and fruit juices with bifidobacteria cultures and to our knowledge, this is first report on cabbage juice fermentation by bifidobacteria. The aim of this research was to develop novel functional beverage based on cabbage juice fermented with probiotic B. lactis Bb12. The probiotic B, lactis Bb12 grew well in cabbage juice at 25°C as the sole culture or in mixed starters, which is quite notable for bifidobacteria. Strains of bifidobacteria were relatively NaCl-tolerant at 5 g L^-1. The addition of fructan sources promoted B. lactis Bb12 survival in fermented cabbage juice during storage at 4°C for 2 weeks. The survival of B. lactis Bb12 was dependent upon the molecular weight of the fructan source and contributed to the extension of the shelf life of the fermented cabbage juice. In this study, it was shown that B. lactis Bb12 grows well in cabbage juice, achieving a concentration of 10⁶ CFU mL^-1, the minimum required concentration for probiotic efficacy. It was stated that combination of probiotic strain B. lactis Bb12 and fructan additives is a prospective approach for cabbage juice-based fermented functional synbiotic beverage development.