Development of probiotic <i>mageu</i>: A preliminary study of the organic volatiles using gas chromatography

Abstract

The suitability of (a fermented non-alcoholic maize beverage) as a probiotic vehicle was previously demonstrated using a range of organisms (Nyanzi, 2007). In that study also, lactobacillus spp.- dependent differences in the sensory properties of the probiotic were recorded. The present study was conducted to underpin part of the reasons for the observed differences in sensory properties of the various probiotic . Gas chromatography (GC-FID) of the probiotic samples was conducted using a polar column and a selection of polar standards. followed by -fermented presented the largest peak intensities for detectable organic volatiles namely; butyric, caproic, heptanoic and nonanoic acids respectively. Only traces of nonanoic acid were detected in fermented . The results further indicate that the low sensory acceptability of fermented may be proportional to its high contents of obnoxious odour compounds such as butyric acid when compared to the low values recorded with -fermented that was adjudged to be most acceptable in terms of sensory acceptability.

Keywords: Fermented maize beverage, probiotic, volatiles, GCFID