Dried fruit matrices incorporated with a probiotic strain of Lactobacillus plantarum

The development of fruits and vegetables containing probiotics is a topic of great interest and popularity for health-conscious consumers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of using dried fruit matrices as delivery vehicles for probiotics. Different fruits - kiwi, mango, strawberry, pineapple, banana - were used as food matrices to test the viability of a strain of Lactobacillus plantarum, which was determined after drying at 40°C and at different storage times. Cell survival after drying decreased by ca. 1 log in banana and strawberry, to 3 log, for kiwi. The bacterial numbers in banana and strawberry dried pieces at the time of storage at room temperature and 4°C were approximately 107 cfu/g. After 37 days storage at room temperature, no viable counts were observed in any of the fruits studied. However, at 4°C after this period of time, viable cells were detected for all the fruits (1.9x106 cfu/g, 1.5x105 cfu/g 1.5x105 cfu/g, 4.7x104 cfu/g 8.0x103 cfu/g, for strawberry, banana, kiwi, mango and pineapple, respectively).