Symbiotic ice-cream production using Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifolia L.) flour

The aim of this study was to produce a functional and low-calorie ice cream by incorporating oleaster flour (OF) into the ice cream mix formulation at different ratios as milk powder and/or sugar substitute. The ice cream was also probiotificated by supplementation of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum NRIC 1838, thus preparing symbiotic ice-creams. For this purpose, 8 different ice-cream formulations were designed and their physicochemical, bioactive, microbiological, thermal and sensory properties were analyzed. The results showed that dry matter content, pH values and total phenolic content of ice creams were in the range of 43.78-46.59 %, 5.65-6.38, and 0.25-0.94 mg GAE g-1, respectively. Addition of OF made the samples darker, as indicated by lower L* values. Additionally, the control samples had the highest brightness while the darkness of the ice-creams increased as the amount of OF in the formulations. Furthermore, the highest a* and b* values were determined in the ice cream sample supplemented with probiotic and OF while the lowest value was determined in the reference ice-creams enriched with probiotics. The cell counts of the ice cream mixes and samples were higher than 7 log CFU g-1. The incorporation of OF, skimmed milk powder, and sugar in the different proportions and combinations led to a reduction in thermodynamic stability of ice-creams compared the control samples. The amount of OF was the most effective ingredient in the overall sensory acceptance of the produced samples. These results suggest that symbiotic ice-creams enriched with OF and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum NRIC 1838 exhibited good quality and sensory characteristics.