Inulin increases Bifidobacterium animalis Bb-12 in vitro gastrointestinal resistance in margarine

•Margarine with inulin, whey protein concentrate, and/or caseinomacropeptide at 3% was studied.•Viability and GI in vitro resistance of Bifidobacterium Bb-12 was evaluated.•Inulin improved Bb-12 survival in probiotic margarine during storage.•Margarine with inulin improved Bb-12 resistance to in vitro GI assays.•Inulin in the proportion of 3% resulted in significant higher Bb-12 survival.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of inulin, whey protein concentrate (WPC), and/or caseinomacropeptide (CMP), in different proportions up to 3%, on the viability and resistance to simulated gastric and enteric conditions of Bifidobacterium animalis Bb-12 added in probiotic and synbiotic margarine, during 35 days of storage at 5 °C. Supplementation was important, since the control margarine presented very low Bb-12 populations. Inulin at 3% resulted in higher Bb-12 counts (8 log cfu g−1). CMP contributed for higher Bb-12 counts, compared to WPC. Inulin increased Bb-12 in vitro survival significantly after 6 h (P<0.05). In margarines with WPC at 3%, Bb-12 populations decreased drastically during the in vitro assays for all storage periods. For the other formulations, Bb-12 populations decreased 2 log cfu g−1 after 2 h. Taken together, results on viability of B. animalis Bb-12 and on in vitro GI resistance of the strain incorporated in margarine produced with inulin were unique, but the addition of inulin was necessary.