Enrichment of sliced apple fruit with Bacillus coagulans

Abstract

The effect of addition of the probiotic agent Bacillus coagulans to apples by applying a vacuum impregnation process was studied. Apple slices were impregnated with a sucrose isotonic solution (IS) of 14°Bx containing 1010CFU g-1 of B. coagulans. The effect of vacuum (22, 29, 36 and 43 cm Hg for 5 min.) and relaxation time (35, 60, 120, 180 and 204 min.) was studied. The highest impregnation of IS (up to 17%) in apple slices was obtained in long relaxation times (120, 180 and 204 min.) and low vacuum pressures (22 cm Hg). The highest vacuum pressure (43 cm Hg) at any relaxation time yielded high concentration of impregnated B. coagulans cells (4 x 107 UFC g-1) into apple slices. The results confirm that B. coagulans at this concentration is satisfactory and similar to that concentration levels of probiotics contained in products existing in the market. Therefore, this article proposes the application of probiotic microorganisms in apple, being this fruit a suitable food matrix for probiotic bacteria.