The Effect of Stevia rebaudiana on the Growth and Survival of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Sensory Properties of Probiotic Yogurt

This study evaluated the effect of various sweetening agents on sensory properties of probiotic yogurt. The growth and survival of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 in yogurt was measured at 1, 14 and 28 days of storage. Bacterial growth reached a range of 108-109 Colony Forming Units (CFU) ml-1 over the storage period for six probiotic yogurt samples (0.12% stevia, 0.12% stevia-inulin-chromium (SIC), 1.0% sucralose, 5.0% sucrose, 6.0% xylitol and a control). Sensory panelists (n = 109) used a 9-point hedonic scale and evaluated five sensory characteristics (flavour, appearance, sweetness, texture, and overall quality) of the four sweetened probiotic yogurts (0.12% stevia, 0.12% SIC, 1.0% sucralose and 5.0% sucrose). The sucralose sample was significantly preferred for all five characteristics (P < 0.001) and the sucrose sample was significantly liked more than both the stevia and SIC samples for all characteristics except flavour (P < 0.001). Overall, the stevia sample received higher mean scores than the SIC sample.