for rice yogurts compared to plain yogurt throughout
the storage. Sandra et al., (2008) previously
demonstrated the positive effect of fiber extracted
from lemon and orange juice by-products on the
growth and survival of L. acidophilus and B. bifidum
in fermented milk during incubation and refrigerated
storage. Similarly, fiber in rice might have improved
the growth and activity of lactic acid bacteria in the
rice yogurt and thereby higher lactic acid production
in rice yogurts than in plain yogurt might be possible.
This hypothesis is further supported by the higher
survivability of bifidobacteria in rice yogurts
compared to plain yogurt in the present study (Figure
2). The highest titratable acidity was observed in the
At-405 rice yogurt throughout the storage period.
Among all the rice yogurts, the highest crude fiber
content (Table 1) was also observed in At-405 rice
yogurt, demonstrating the effect of fiber towards
increasing titratable acidity in probiotic dairy foods
possibly through promoting the growth of lactic acid
bacteria during storage.