Evaluating Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of Functional Yogurt Supplemented with Glycyrrhiza Polysaccharide as Potential Replacement for Gelatin

Glycyrrhiza is a well-known plant resource used for the production of extractum-glycyrrhizae; however, large amounts of Glycyrrhiza residues containing polysaccharides are produced, and these have not been well utilized until now. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Glycyrrhiza polysaccharides obtained from Glycyrrhiza residues as a potential gelatin replacer in yogurt. The incorporation of Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide (GP) at different concentrations accelerated the growth of lactic acid bacteria. Similar to the effect of adding gelatin (GE), GP could suitably improve the water-holding capacity (WHC) and texture of the yogurt. Moreover, the yogurt prepared with GP showed a higher viscosity and shorter transverse relaxation time of mobile water (T23) value than the control group (CG). Moreover, the microstructure analysis indicated that the casein network of yogurt with GP was more compact and cohesive than those of others. Yogurt prepared with 0.1% GPs exhibited the best sensory acceptance. The results indicated that small amounts of GPs can effectively replace gelatin as a thickener in yogurt with good quality.