"MICROBIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS AND ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY OF TARHANA CHIPS FERMENTED WITH KEFIR"

Abstract

Abstract:In this study, the tarhana samples which fermented with kefir show higher antioxidant activity than tarhana samples whichare fermented with yogurt (without kefir grains). The control tarhana chips (fermented with yogurt) samples (0,47±0,51µmol/g TE) have significantly (P0.05) lower antioxidant capacity (DPPH radical scavenging activity) than the fermentedwith kefir (0,67±0,02 µmol/g TE) samples. The ABTS values (0,83±0,28 µmol/ TE gr and 0,71±0,32 µmol/ TE gr) ofextracts are significantly different in YT sample and KT samples fermented with kefir. The difference in antioxidantactivities of traditional tarhana chips and tarhana with kefir grains are statistically significant (P<0.05). The analysis of totalcoliform group bacteria, total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, total Lactobacillus spp. and yeast-mould counts were conducted insamples. None of the samples contained coliform group bacteria. At the end of fermentation, count of Lactobacillus spp. andtotal aerobic mesophilic bacteria for traditional tarhana chips and fermented chips with kefir determined 8,47–8,94 log cfu/gand 7.43–7.95 log cfu/g, respectively. Yeast counts in the samples of chips fermented with kefir found 6,89 log cfu/g. As aresult, the use of kefir instead of yogurt in tarhana chips production is highly recommended as a tarhana type which has thepotential to be a highly functional product with a high nutritional value due to its significant increase in antioxidant propertiesand its contribution to protein content.