The effects of Allium sativum and Cinnamomum verum water extracts on the survival of
Bifidobacterium bifidum during 21 days of refrigerated storage and after simulated gastrointestinal
digestion (SGD) were investigated. Two types of yogurt (cow- and camel-milk yogurts) were prepared
in the presence of A. sativum or C. verum. The viable cell counts (VCC) of B. bifidum in fresh
A. sativum- or C. verum-cow milk yogurt (1 day) were higher (8.1 · 109 cfu/ml and 6.6 · 109 cfu/ml,
respectively; p< 0.05) than plain-yogurt (1.9 · 109 cfu/ml). In contrast, B. bifidum VCC in fresh
plain-camel milk yogurt was 1.99 · 109 cfu/ml whereas the presence of A. sativum or C. verum in
yogurt increased (p< 0.05) VCC to 19.61 · 109 cfu/ml and 25.55 · 109 cfu/ml, respectively. The
VCC of B. bifidum in both herbal-yogurts decreased (p< 0.05) during refrigerated storage for both
types of yogurt. The VCC of B. bifidum was 1.3 · 109 cfu/ml in all fresh cow milk yogurts after 1 h
gastric digestion. Intestinal digestion (1 h) increased VCC of B. bifidum in all fresh yogurts but not
in 7 day old yogurts (plain- and A. sativum-yogurts). However, prolonged digestion to another 1 h
in intestine reduced (p< 0.05) VCC of B. bifidum in all fresh and storage yogurts. In contrast, all
fresh camel milk yogurts showed VCC of B. bifidum 61 · 109 cfu/ml after SGD. Seven day old A.
sativum – camel milk yogurt showed the lowest survival of B. bifidum after gastric digestion
compared to plain- and C. verum-yogurt. The VCC reduced (p< 0.05) in all camel milk-yogurts
after 2 h intestinal digestion.
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