Effect of Aloe vera gel on chemical, sensorial and viability of probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum in low fat ice cream

Among dairy products, ice cream is very popular all over the world. Therefore, in this research, the possibility of producing probiotic ice cream containing Aloe vera gel was investigated. For this purpose, Aloe vera gel at concentrations of 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% was added to ice cream samples and its effect on the survival of Lactobacillus plantarum was investigated. Besides, some chemical and sensory properties of ice cream were evaluated. The results of this study showed that the addition of Aloe vera gel did not have any significant effect on the acidity, moisture, and fat content of probiotic ice cream samples, but the microbial count and sensory properties of this product were significantly (p < 0.05) affected. During storage, in the samples containing 10% and 15% Aloe vera gel, the number of probiotic bacteria increased to 8.15 and 8.19 log CFU/ml, respectively. The overall sensory evaluation of ice cream samples showed that the highest sensory rating was related to the treatment containing 10% Aloe vera gel. It was concluded that considering the sensory acceptance and survival of probiotic bacteria L. plantarum, the ice cream containing 10% Aloe vera gel was the best treatment.