Survivability of Probiotic Microflora in Fermented and Non-Fermented Mare’s Milk: A Comparative Study

This study discusses the properties of mare milk as a potential food matrix to produce functional dairy products. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of cold storage on the viability of microflora in fermented and unfermented mare’s milk, containing live monocultures of probiotic bacteria, during storage at low temperatures. Three fermented beverages were produced, differentiated by the bacterial flora used for production (Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12), as well as one unfermented beverage (using 40% commercial kumis and 7% LA-5). The unfermented beverage was mare’s milk supplemented with a BB-12 monoculture, which was chilled immediately after adding the inoculum. The population of BB-12 remained above 6 log CFU/g until the 21st day of storage at 5 ± 1 °C, while for LA-5, it remained viable only up to 14 days of storage. The BB-12 population was high and stable for 21 days in both fermented and unfermented beverages. The results confirm the good quality of the final product (appropriate pH and high population of individual bacterial strains); not only are appropriate culture conditions important, but the use of suitable probiotic bacteria and the optimization of the starter concentrations should also be considered. There is considerable potential for further research and future commercialization of mare’s dairy products, such as yogurt and potentially other dairy products.