The red fermented rice has higher nutritive value and the function of building up body. The red rice contains abundant protein, fats, vitamins, trace elements and coarse fiber. Red yeast rice fermented by Monascus ruber 4066 was used for the study. Yogurts with Streptococcus thermophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum were prepared using cow's milk supplemented with red yeast rice flour (RYRF) at 1%, 2%, 3% (wt/wt) and stored at 5°C to 14 days. All preparations of RYRF yogurts showed higher titratable acidity, viscosity, water holding capacity (WHC), hardness, adhesiveness and cohesiveness compared to that of plain yogurts throughout the storage period. The count of B. bifidum in RYRF yogurts (> 7 log cfu. g -1 ) was more than that of plain yogurts (> 6 log cfu. g -1 ) at the end of storage period, probably due to prebiotic effect of RYRF. There were significant differences among the yogurt samples in relation to their organoleptic properties. The current results recommend addition of 3% RYRF to yoghurt that enhanced physicochemical, organoleptic and textural properties and the viability of B. bifidum in bio-yoghurt as functional food.

The use of dairy-based functional foods has increased markedly over the last few years. Ginger is believed to exert a wide range of therapeutic properties. This study aimed to evaluate probiotic properties of twenty Lactic acid bacteria to apply in functional fermented milk fortified with fresh ginger juice to increase the therapeutic and nutritional effects of the product. Ginger juice was prepared from ginger rhizomes through sorting, washing, peeling, crushing and crude juice extraction. It was assayed for antibacterial activity by minimal inhibitory concentration against antibiotic resistant pathogenic bacteria (E. coli BA 12296, Bacillus subtilis DB100, Klebsiella pneumoniaa ATCC12296, Salmonella senftenberg ATCC 8400, Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 10788, Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 35984). Total phenol, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity were determined, ginger juice showed an antibacterial activity and antioxidant activity. Twelve strains out of twenty were resistant to bile salts concentrations (0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 w/v), to acid conditions (pH 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0) and were able to grow in the presence of 0.2 and 0.4 w/v of phenol. Seven strains (Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii KT615, Lb. brevis KP653, Lb. delbrueckii subsp. lactis KP645, Lb. plantarum KP623, Lb. paracasei subsp. tolerans WT631, Enterococcus faecalis BM711, Enterococcus faecium BT734) had the ability to adhere to rabbit intestinal epithelial cells in-vitro, and were resistant to ginger juice. Ginger juice concentration showed indirect relationship with the milk coagulation time and direct with syneresis of fermented milk. It was showed that used 2% of ginger juice concentrations was the best results on fermented milk products.