Probiotic set-yogurt fortified with cranberry fruit powder: physicochemical properties and health effect on ulcerative colitis in mice

Abstract The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of cranberry fruit powder (CFP) on the physicochemical and bioactive properties of yogurt. The addition of CFP before fermentation enhanced the amount of total flavonoid, proanthocyanidin, antioxidant capacity and elastic modulus of yogurt compared with the control. In the experiment of ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice, the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β were statistically lower in the CFPY group than that of DSS group. Moreover, the histological lesions of UC mice were significantly ameliorated in the CFPY group. The pH value decreased significantly, but the sugar content, water holding capacity, susceptibility to syneresis improved a little during storage at 4 °C. The bacterial counts were more than the minimum recommended daily dose (6 log CFU/g) in CFP yogurt. The findings suggest that addition of CFP into yogurt is a promising option of producing novel yogurts with nutrition value and bioactivity.