Increased survival of Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 in guava juices with simulated gastrointestinal conditions during refrigerated storage

The survival of Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 in guava juices with simulated gastrointestinal conditions and refrigerated storage was studied. The influence of inulin and stevia in fermented and non-fermented juices were measured. Chemical composition, lactic acid and carbohydrate concentrations and sensory evaluation were also done. The addition of inulin did not show a significant effect on the survival with simulated gastrointestinal conditions in non-fermented and fermented juices. Inulin was able to increase the survival by 10% in non-fermented juice and 19% in fermented juice during refrigerated storage. Stevia increased the survival with simulated gastrointestinal conditions to rates of 80% in fermented juice and 182% in non-fermented juice. The fermented juice was more stable than the non-fermented juice since it showed a lower variation in the cellular viability and physical-chemical parameters. In the sensory evaluation, non-fermented juice showed a greater sweetness and lower acidity compared to fermented juice. Non-fermented juice had a higher average for product acceptability and purchase intent than fermented juice. However, there was no significant difference between the juices in multivariate analysis, which means that fermented juice would be accepted and purchased if the sensory properties would be improved.