INCORPORATION OF POTENTIAL PROBIOTIC LACTOBACILLUS PLANTARUM ISOLATED FROM FERMENTED COCOA BEANS INTO DARK CHOCOLATE: BACTERIAL VIABILITY AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES ANALYSIS

摘要

The purpose of this study was to develop a chocolate product incorporating anpotential probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum isolated from fermented cocoa beans.nL. plantarum was successfully isolated and its identity was 99.9% confirmed vianthe phenotypic API 50 CHL system, microscopic and biochemical analyses. Thenorganism was then incorporated into dark chocolate confectionery. A reduction innL. plantarum colony count was observed after 3 months storage at 4C from theninitial 8 log cfu/g to 6.5 log cfu/g (81.25% survival). Probiotic dark chocolate wasnfound to be more viscous than control dark chocolate (without live cells), but ofnsimilar hardness (with the exception of samples on day 56, 70 and 84 of storage),npH, color (L*, a* and b* values) and water activity (Aw). Overall, dark chocolate isnsuitable for use as a carrier for the potential probiotic L. plantarum isolated fromnfermented cocoa beans.