Effect of oat bran addition on the survival of selected probiotic strains in Turkish fermented sausage during cold storage

The aim of this study was to determine the probiotic survivability of selected probiotic in the oat-bran added sausages. In this study, traditional fermented Turkish sausage was produced by adding oat bran at levels of 0.0%, 1.0%, 2.5%, and 5.0% of raw meat, as well as inoculating it with probiotic bacteria strains Lactobacillus acidophilus DSM 20079, Lacticaseibacillus casei 431 & REG;, and Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM. The effects of these additions on the sausage were investigated by creating 16 different groups of samples (4 groups for each level of oat bran and control group (no inoculation) + 3 groups inoculated with different probiotic strains). After fermentation, the inoculated sausages were stored under highly controlled conditions for 30 days. Sausage samples underwent physicochemical and microbiological analyses at different storage stages (days 0, 15, and 30). It was found that the survival of probiotic bacteria was at an acceptable level (8-9 log10 CFU/g). The addition of oat bran and the inoculation of probiotic bacteria increased the thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) number of the sausage. It has been found that a 5% oat bran content contributes to the survival of L. acidophilus DSM 20079 and reduces the number of yeasts and moulds. L. acidophilus DSM 20079 also had the longest life cycle when compared to the other probiotics. Despite probiotic bacteria's potential for increasing oxidation, certain study groups showed lower TBARS values. To further improve their functional properties, it may be beneficial to consider using different starter cultures or a combination of starter cultures.