Probiotication of Tomato Juice by Lactic Acid Bacteria

This study was undertaken to determine the suitability of tomato juice as a raw material for production of probiotic juice by four lactic acid bacteria (Latobacillus acidophilus LA39, Lactobacillus plantarum C3, Lactobacillus casei A4, and Lactobacillus delbrueckii D7). Tomato juice was inoculated with a 24­h-old culture and incubated at $30^{\circ}C$. Changes in pH, acidity, sugar content, and viable cell counts dur­ing fermentation under controlled conditions were measured. The lactic acid cultures reduced the pH to 4.1 or below and increased the acidity to $0.65\%$ or higher, and the viable cell counts (CFU) reached nearly 1.0 to $9.0\times10^9/ml$ after 72 h fermentation. The viable cell counts of the four lactic acid bacteria in the fermented tomato juice ranged from $10^6\;to\;10^8\;CFU/ml$ after 4 weeks of cold storage at $4^{\circ}C$. Pro­biotic tomato juice could serve as a health beverage for vegetarians or consumers who are allergic to dairy products.