Production of Probiotic Fermented Mixture of Carrot, Beet and Apple Juices

In this study, production of fermented functional beverage based on the mixture of carrot, beet and apple juices using the Lactobacillus casei was carried out. Factors of consumption of reduction sugars, brix and bacterial growth were examined after fermentation and during the storage for 28 days and at 4˚C. To produce probiotic fermented mixture of Carrot, Beet and apple juices and Lactobacillus casei suspension with initial concentration of about 1.5x107 , 1.5x106 cfu/ml was prepared and added to the mixture of juices to the amount of 20, 30 and 40% , respectively. The fermentation process was completed during 48 hours and at 37 ˚C. Data analysis was conducted using the multiplied Duncan test including 6 test treatments and 1 control treatment and was repeated 3 times. During the fermentation process within all of the treatments, the number of probiotic bacteria increased due to the usage of sugar and nutrients inside the juice while sugars and brix levels decreased. The results revealed that the sample of A3B1 with concentration of 40% and 1.5x106 cfu/ml of Lactobacillus casei was considered as the best treatment which had the maximum rate of cell viability during 4 weeks of storage at 4 ˚C. In the sensory evaluation that was conducted by the examiners after the first and the forth weeks at 4˚C, control treatment had the highest score and A3B1 treatment had the lowest score with concentration of 40% and the 106 cfu/ml of probiotic bacteria.