Tunisian persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) jelly: Effect on physicochemical, microbiological, rheological, biological activities and sensory properties of bilayer yogurt

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the incorporation of the persimmon jelly on the quality of the bilayer yogurt. The samples were prepared using 10, 15and 20% layers of persimmon jelly. The products were stored at 4°C for four weeks. During this period, the physicochemical, rheological, microbiological and sensorial characteristics, phenolic contents and the antioxidant activity were investigated. The results showed that a* and b* color parameters have been increased with the amount of the jelly layer. Bilayer yogurts showed higher phenolic (2.245 ±0.11 mg AGE/g) and antioxidant capacities (58.91 ±0.51%) for Y20 than the control. The addition of persimmon jelly to yogurt did not affect the lactic bacteria growth. Regarding sensory evaluation, the scores for the different attributes increased as the amount of persimmon jelly added increased. Collectively, these findings revealed that persimmon fruit have the ability to improve the biological and the technological characteristics of yogurt as a functional food, which can be used as potential food ingredients.