a systematic review of the use of plant essential oil for probiotic yoghurt preservation

Biopreservatives are currently used to improve the safety and quality of dairy products. it has been demonstrated that some essential oils (eos) have antimicrobial properties that allow their use as food preservatives and flavoring agents. therefore, to ensure the beneficial effects of eos, they should be evaluated individually and in combination with other preservative agents such as probiotic bacteria to determine whether there are synergistic effects between these agents. this study was a systematic review of the feasibility of using eos in probiotic yoghurt. various studies have reported conflicting results regarding the effects of eos on the survival of probiotics in yoghurt during storage (1-3). nevertheless, eos with probiotics have a synergistic function against pathogenic and spoilage microbes in yoghurt. probiotic yogurt treated with the lowest concentration of eos have the highest sensorial attribute score and viable count of probiotic bacteria. however, a high concentration of eos is the most appropriate treatment for improving the microbial quality of probiotic yoghurt. according to the findings of this systematic review, using eo at optimum concentrations can be a suitable approach to enhance the shelf life and safety of probiotic yoghurt. furthermore, eos that eliminate competing microorganisms can increase the survival rate of probiotics in these products.