Abstract
This study was intended to develop a new rice product by the fermentation of saccharified rice solution using Bifidobacterium and to select an appropriate reducing agent to provide the anaerobic condition for the growth of Bifidobacterium during fermentation. The enhancement of the growth of Bifidobacterium in saccharified rice solution was achieved by the treatment of reducing agents such as ascorbic acid and cysteine. The physical and chemical properties of the fermented product were evaluated, and the effect of the reducing agents were compared between ascorbic acid and cysteine. The fermented product with the addition of ascorbic acid shows the lower pH and the higher titratable acidity comparing the product with the addition of cysteine. This indicated that ascorbic acid was more appropriate reducing agent than cysteine for the fermentation of the saccharified rice solution. The number of viable Bifidobacterium in the fermented product with the addition of ascorbic acid(2.2$\times$108~3.4$\times$108CFU/ml) was greater than that with the addition of cysteine (8$\times$107~2.8$\times$108CFU/ml). Ascorbic acid supplement also contributed better sensory properties, such as flavor, taste and overall acceptibility than cysteine supplement did.
