PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF FRESH AND PROBIOTICATED FRUIT JUICES WITH LACTOBACILLUS CASEI PRODUCED IN NIGERIA

The physico-chemical analysis of fresh and probioticated fruit juices with Lactobacillus casei was assessed. A total of four fruit samples from Okigwe, Nigeria consisting of mango, orange, watermelon and grape were collected and screened using standard microbiological and chemical methods. The qualitative phytochemical screening carried out with the fruits juices showed the presence of some bioactive compounds of flavoniods, tannins, carbohydrates and glycosides. Alkaloid was only present in mango fruit juice while saponin was present in orange and grape fruit juice. Physico-chemical properties of the freshly prepared fruit juices showed a pH range of 4.0 to 4.2 with percentage titrable acidity (as citric acid) range of 0.14±0.01 to 0.41±0.1. The turbidity, reducing sugar (%) and total soluble solid (%) ranged from 35.0±1.2 to 50.2±1.0, 9.0±1.0 to 17.2 ±1.2 and 12.2±1.0 to 21.0±0.6, respectively. The Physico-chemical analysis of free cell fermented various probioticated fruit juices at different time intervals (24, 48 and 72 hrs) revealed that the pH decreases from 4.2-3.2, 3.8-3.5, 3.8-3.2 and 4.8-3.2, while the titrable acidity increases from 0.49±0.01 to 0.70±0.01, 0.46±0.06 to 0.52±0.01, 0.20±0.01 to 0.40±0.01 and 0.17±0.06 to 0.28±0.01 for mango, orange watermelon and grape, respectively.