Effect of probiotic starter cultures on cholesterol level in fermented milk drinks

Abstract

Fermented drinks were produced from pasteurized cow’s milk inoculated using the following DVS starter cultures: YC-180 (Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus), YO-MIX 207 (Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis), LA-5 (Lactobacillus acidophillus), and BB-12 (Bifidobacterium bifidum). In the milk and in the fermented milk drinks made from it and stored for 1 and 14 days, the following was determined: content of fat, pH value,, titrable acidity, and cholesterol level using an enzymatic method with a cholesterol oxydase. The pasteurized milk contained 20.0 mg/100 g of cholesterol on average, whereas its fat contained 5.64 mg/g of cholesterol. Compared to the milk, in the produced one-day old milk drinks fermented using YC-180, YO-MIX 207, LA-5 and BB-12 starters, a statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) reduction was found in the level of cholesterol; it amounted to, respectively: 49.4%, 41.3%, 44.8%, and 45.9% of the initial content of cholesterol in 100 g of milk and to, respectively: 54.9%, 44.3%, 46.3%, and 48,0% in 1 g of milk fat. The starter cultures applied differed in their capacity to decrease the content of cholesterol: the capacity of YO-MIX 207 inoculating culture was the strongest, whereas that of YC-180 was the weakest. During chilled storage of drinks for 14 days, a further decrease was reported in the cholesterol level in the drinks and in their fat: 15% on average.