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Fenugreek (Trigonella  foenum graecum), native to southern Europe and Asia, is an annual herb with white flowers and hard, yellowish brown and angular seeds, known from ancient times, for nutritional value beside of its medicinal effects. Fenugreek seeds are rich source of gum, fiber, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins and volatile content. Due to its high content of fiber, fenugreek could be used as food stabilizer, adhesive and emulsifying agent to change food texture for some special purposes. Some evidence suggests that fenugreek may also be regarded as antidiabetic, anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, antibacterial agent, antianorexia agent, and gastric stimulant, as well as remedy for hypocholesterolemia and hypoglycemia. The present article is aimed to review the potential applications of fenugreek as a functional food and nutraceutical agent.

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Background and Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to investigate effects of various heat shock conditions and fast freezing and subsequent thawing on the viability and recovery of Bacillus coagulans and Bacillus subtilis as probiotic sporeformers, and also to compare spore plate and microscopic counts.

Materials and Methods: After preparing the final suspensions of B. coagulans and Bacillus subtilis subsp. Natto spores, they were spread-plated before and after fast freezing treatment (-70°C for about 1 min). Heat shock treatments of the spores were carried out at 68^oC for 15, 20, and 30 min as well as at 80^oC for 10 and 15 min. Concentrations of the examined probiotic sporeformers were determined simultaneously by plate enumerations and microscopically determined counts. Student’s t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) of SPSS were used for statistical analysis of the data. Analysis of DoE results was carried out using Minitab.

Results: The results presented here show that the highest recovery rates for B. coagulans (14.75 log CFU/mL) and B. subtilis spores (14.80 log CFU/mL) were under a heat shock condition of 68°C for 20 min in nutrient agar (p<0.05). In addition, the survival rates of B. coagulans and B. subtilis spores under the fast freezing and subsequent thawing condition were about 90% and 88%, respectively. Plate counts differed significantly from counts determined microscopically, with differences of almost 0.5 and 0.8 log for B. coagulans and B. subtilis spores, respectively (p<0.05). In addition, DoE results of the study revealed that both factors of spore count method and only freezing factor in fast freezing treatment have a significant effect on concentrations of the spores examined (p<0.05).

Conclusions: Heat shock conditions, freezing and subsequent thawing circumstances, and plate counts or enumerations determined microscopically have significant influences on the viability of probiotic sporeformers and should be considered in determining of their accurate concentrations.

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Background and Objectives: The use of Bacillus probiotics is an interesting way for manufacturing healthier meat and meat products as functional foods and also a valuable solution for overcoming the constraints related to the stability of probiotic strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium during processing and storage of foods. This work is an attempt to investigate the influence of common household cooking methods on the viability of Bacillus coagulans and Bacillus subtilis as probiotic sporeformers inoculated into cooked sausages.

Materials and Methods: After preparation of the final suspensions of Bacillus coagulans ATCC 31284 and Bacillus subtilis var. Natto ATCC 15245 spores, they were supplemented in the sausage samples with different meat types and percentages. The inoculated cooked sausages were then submitted to common household cooking methods, i.e. boiling, microwaving, and deep fat frying. Enumeration of the studied spores was carried out on trypticase soy agar after exposure to a heat shock at 68°C for 20 min. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) of SPSS-20 was used for statistical analysis of the data. A Taguchi L₉ experimental design comprising 3 variables and 3 levels was performed using MINITAB-17 to determine main effects of the parameters of household cooking process.

Results: The results obtained in this study showed that boiling, followed by microwaving and deep fat frying, had the greatest viability and recovery of the studied spores supplemented in the cooked sausages, respectively (P < 0.05). Furthermore, results of the Taguchi experimental method revealed that the type of Bacillus probiotics, followed by the formulation of cooked sausages and the method of household cooking of cooked sausages had main effects on the concentrations of the spores examined, respectively.

Conclusions: The information provided here suggests that boiling as a common household cooking method retained maximum viability and recovery of the studied Bacillus probiotics supplemented in the cooked sausage samples. Besides, the type of spores was the principle parameter, which had a critical effect on the response (i.e. concentrations of the studied Bacillus probiotics).

Keywords: Bacillus probiotic, B. coagulans, B. subtilis, Cooked sausage, Household cooking method

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Background and Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate effects of incorporating Iranian native and commercial probiotic strains (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Bifidobacterium lactis) on the rheological and syneresis properties of yogurts.
Materials and Methods: Samples were heated (90 °C, 15 min) after reconstituting in milk (13% SNF). After cooling down, the starter culture and probiotics were incorporated. Incubation was carried out at 42 °C until the pH decreased to 4.5. Syneresis was assessed based on Amatayakul et al. method. Rheological characteristics were assessed using dynamic oscillation (strain sweep and frequency sweep) and rotation assays.
Results: Results revealed significant improvement in characteristics of the probiotic yogurts, compared to the control sample. Based on the results of rheological assessments, yogurts showed viscoelastic behaviors. In general, yogurts containing the native strain of L. acidophilus provided further desirable rheological and syneresis characteristics.
Conclusions: Therefore, it is strongly recommended to use native Iranian L. acidophilus in probiotic yogurt production.