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Global Research journal of Natural Science  
& Technology (GRJNST)  
Volume: 04 - Issue 2 (2026), 2052  
ISSN P: 2790-7643 ISSN E: 2790-7651  
Development and Quality Evaluation of Functional Yogurt Enriched with  
Plant-Based Bioactive Components  
Received: 29 December 2025. Accepted: 23 January 2025. Published: 30 March 2026  
Shumaila  
Center of Biotechnology and Microbiology,  
University of Peshawar  
Correspondence Email: shumaila83uop@gmail.com  
Dr.Samiyah Tasleem  
Department of ADRC, Bahria University Karachi  
Maryam Saeed  
PhD Scholar, Department of Food Sciences, Faculty  
of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab  
Ayaz khurram  
PhD Scholar, Dairy Technology, Department of  
Food Technology, BZU; Multan  
Dr Noor ul ain  
Assistant Professor, Institute of Food science and  
Nutrition, Gomal university D.I.Khan  
Muhammad Javed Nawaz  
Food Science and Technology, Government College  
University, Faisalabad  
Nadia Jabeen  
Department of Agriculture, Hazara University  
Mansehra  
GRJNST, Volume: 04 - Issue 2 (2026) / ISSN P: 2790-7643  
Article ID: 2052  
Copyright © 2026 GRJNST. This article is published under an Open Access model. It is made available to the public under the terms of the Creative  
Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits unrestricted use and distribution  
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Correspondence Email: nadia.agri@hu.edu.pk  
ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6617-8301  
Abstract: The increasing health sensitive food demand across the world has made  
functional dairy products especially yogurt take the center stage in the field of nutrition  
science. Yogurt presents an outstanding vehicle of bioactive compounds as it is palatable,  
has extensive acceptability and is a potential probiotic. The review examines the  
production and quality assessment of functional yogurt enriched with the plant-based  
bioactive compound such as polyphenols, flavonoids, dietary fibers and essential oils  
found in fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices. The implementation of these natural  
additives will be done to increase the therapeutic value of yogurt, which focuses on  
antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and cardioprotective effects. Nevertheless,  
introduction of the plant matrices poses serious technological difficulties, affecting the  
physicochemical characteristics, rheological characteristics, sensory characteristics and  
microbiological stability of the end product. This paper summarizes the existing literature  
regarding the choice of plant sources, incorporation technique and the complex effect on  
yogurt, such as syneresis, viscosity, color and acceptability by the consumer. In addition, it  
looks into the synergistic effects in combination with starter cultures and the ramifications  
of the shelf-life extension. The review finds that although plant-based enrichment is a  
promising concept in functional foods of next generation, careful optimization is  
necessary to achieve a balance between bioactivity and other attributes such as sensory  
excellence and stability of the products.  
Keywords: Functional yogurt, plant bioactive compounds, polyphenols, antioxidant  
activity, sensory evaluation, prebiotics.  
1. Introduction  
Nutrition paradigm is no longer but satiating the hunger but regulating bodily functions to enhance  
health and well-being, leading to the emergence of the concept of functional foods (Shahidi and  
Alasalvar, 2016). Fermented dairy products have an exceptionally privileged niche among these, yogurt  
being one of the most frequently used and most flexible vehicles of functional ingredients. Yogurt is  
also naturally functional because it contains live bacterial cultures (Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp.  
bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus), which are beneficial, i.e., lactose digestibility, and  
modulation of gut microbiota (Savaiano and Hutkins, 2020; Champagne et al., 2020).  
At the same time, the demand in the use of natural, plant-based products that are safe and healthy  
increases. There have been a lot of studies on plant-based bioactive compounds, including polyphenols,  
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anthocyanins, carotenoids and dietary fibers, with regard to their antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-  
carcinogenic activities (Alves-Silva et al., 2020; Caleja et al., 2017). Accordingly, the strategic  
fortification of yogurt with such plant matrices can be considered a synergistic method of creating a  
product with increased nutritional and therapeutic performance - a phenomenon that is commonly  
known as the super-yogurt (Aswal et al., 2021).  
Nevertheless, the creation of such functional products is not that easy. The introduction of vegetable  
ingredients has the potential to interfere with the sensitive casein micelle network, resulting in a change  
in the texture, higher syneresis and unwanted color or flavor (Gahruie et al., 2020; Baba et al., 2020).  
Also, the contact between bioactive compounds and plant bioactives may impact the viability of starter  
cultures, as well as the bioavailability of bioactive compounds themselves (Kobus-Cisowska et al., 2019;  
Rashidinejad et al., 2021).  
The purpose of the review is to critically assess the existing body of knowledge in the field of the  
functional development of yogurt fortified with plant-based bioactive compounds. It will address the  
variety of the sources of plants that are treated, the technology of its implementation, the effect on the  
physicochemical and rheological and sensory properties and the effects of health benefits. It is aimed at  
giving a comprehensive picture that will inform further studies and practical applications in the  
industry in creating stable, palatable, and effective functional yogurts.  
2. Plant-Based Bioactive Components: Sources and Functional Properties  
The plant material that has been considered to fortify yogurt is very extensive, covering the fruit and  
vegetables pomace, as well as herb and spice extracts. These plants have bioactive compounds that can  
be divided into phenolic compounds, carotenoids, dietary fibers and essential oils.  
2.1. Phenolic Compounds and Polyphenols.  
Phenolic acids, flavonoids and tannins are secondary metabolites, which are characterized by their  
strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These compounds occur in sources like the green  
tea (Camellia sinensis), grape pomace (Vitis vinifera) and pomegranate (Punica granatum). These  
compounds are able to scavenge the free radicals, decrease the lipid peroxidation as well as may regulate  
the gut microbiota by promoting the good bacteria in yogurt (Du et al., 2021; Li et al., 2021). Oktay  
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and Gulcin (2019) also proved that phenolic extracts of different plants have good radical-scavenging  
activity that is well transferable into dairy matrices.  
2.2. Dietary Fibers  
Fiber of plants, especially fruits (e.g., apple, banana) and cereals (e.g., oats) are prebiotics, which  
activate the growth and activity of probiotic bacteria. Insoluble fibers may positively affect  
gastrointestinal flow, whereas soluble fibers (e.g., pectin, b-glucan) may have an effect on the viscosity  
and texture of yogurt and tend to replace fats (Niamah et al., 2020). Gomez et al. (2020) have  
adequately reported the prebiotic potential of pectin-derived oligosaccharides, which results in  
improved growth of beneficial microbiota of the gut.  
2.3. Carotenoids and Pigments  
This is done by adding natural pigments such as b-carotene (carrots), lycopene (tomatoes) and  
anthocyanins (berries) to fortify the color and antioxidants properties of the yogurts. These substances  
help to enhance visual quality as well as add to the functional characteristics of the product (Paszczyk  
et al., 2019; Turgut and Cakmakci, 2020). In their study, Dias et al. (2020) have documented that  
grape juice enrichment offered desirable color, as well as, antioxidant activity to probiotic yogurt.  
Table 1: Common Plant Sources, Bioactive Components, and Associated Health Benefits in Yogurt  
Plant Source  
Pomegranate  
Bioactive Components  
Functional Benefits  
References  
Anthocyanins,  
Tannins, Ellagic acid  
Antioxidant,  
Antihypertensive,  
Anti-inflammatory  
(Aswal et al., 2021;  
Du et al., 2021)  
Green Tea  
Grape Pomace  
Turmeric  
Catechins (EGCG)  
Antioxidant,  
Antimicrobial,  
Antidiabetic  
(Kobus-Cisowska et  
al., 2019; Rashidinejad  
et al., 2021)  
Resveratrol,  
Anthocyanins  
Antioxidant,  
Cardioprotective,  
Prebiotic  
(Gahruie et al., 2020;  
Dias et al., 2020)  
Curcuminoids  
Anti-inflammatory,  
Antimicrobial  
(Alves-Silva et al.,  
2020; Giri et al.,  
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2020)  
Oat Fiber  
Carrot  
Cholesterol-lowering,  
Prebiotic, Texture  
modifier  
(Gómez et al., 2020;  
Niamah et al., 2020)  
β-glucan  
Provitamin A,  
Antioxidant  
(Paszczyk et al., 2019;  
Turgut and Çakmakçı,  
2020)  
β-carotene  
3. Impact on Yogurt Starter Cultures and Viability  
Preservation of viability of starter cultures (and added probiotics) over shelf-life is one of the key  
factors in the development of functional yogurts. Plant bioactive compounds have a dual effect on the  
growth of microorganisms, as they are prebiotics or antimicrobial active compounds.  
3.1. Stimulatory Effects  
Most plant extracts contain oligosaccharides and micronutrients which are growth substrates of lactic  
acid bacteria (LAB). As an example, addition of fruit fibers has been reported to enhance the stability  
of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium spp. in refrigerated storage, preserving the counts at  
levels above the log CFU/g recommended therapeutic level (Espirito-Santo et al., 2021; Sah et al.,  
2020). Low concentrations of phenolic compounds also have the potential to induce the growth of  
bacteria since they are electron shuttles. Mandal et al. (2020) identified that fruit extracts that were  
underutilized enhanced the growth of probiotic cultures in functional yogurt preparations.  
3.2. Inhibitory Effects  
On the other hand, LAB growth and fermentation can be disrupted, which is caused by high  
concentrations of polyphenol and essential oils and the disruption of bacterial cell membrane. The  
effectiveness of the antimicrobial action is conditional on the kind and the concentration of the plant  
extract. To illustrate, low concentrations of green tea extracts improve the LAB survival, whereas high  
concentrations might decrease the number of Streptococcus thermophilus because green tea extracts  
have a bactericidal action (Kobus-Cisowska et al., 2019; Georgakopoulos et al., 2019). Hashemi et al.  
(2019) also established that Zataria multiflora essential oil in concentrations of over 0.3% inhibited  
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probiotic bacteria in yogurt significantly. Thus, a fine balance should be maintained to ensure that  
bioactivity is maximized and fermentation kinetics is not affected (Geci et al., 2021).  
Table 2: Effect of Plant Enrichment on Probiotic Viability in Yogurt  
Plant Additive  
Concentration  
Target Culture  
L. acidophilus  
S. thermophilus  
Effect  
on Reference  
Viability  
Pomegranate Peel  
0.5%  
Increased  
(Aswal  
et  
al.,  
(prebiotic effect)  
2021)  
Green  
Tea >0.5%  
Decreased  
(Kobus-Cisowska  
et al., 2019)  
Extract  
(antimicrobial)  
Grape Pomace  
2%  
Bifidobacterium  
spp.  
Maintained > 7 (Gahruie et al.,  
log CFU/g 2020)  
Turmeric  
0.1%  
1.5%  
Mixed LAB  
No  
significant (Alves-Silva et al.,  
inhibition  
2020)  
Apple Fiber  
L. casei  
Increased  
(Gomez et al.,  
2020)  
(prebiotic)  
Pineapple Waste  
Rosehip Pulp  
2%  
1%  
L. acidophilus  
Increased  
(Sah et al., 2020)  
Bifidobacterium  
Maintained  
(Uysal  
2021)  
et  
al.,  
4. Physicochemical and Rheological Properties  
Plant elements combination is a very important factor that changes the physical structure of yogurt.  
The main issues are variations in pH, acidity, water holding capacity (WHC), syneresis and viscosity.  
4.1. pH and Titratable Acidity  
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Plant materials may serve as a buffer to the yogurt matrix or affect the post-acidification rate. High  
buffering capacity compounds like proteins and minerals in seed flours would delay the pH decrease  
and fermentable sugars would hasten the formation of acid. A small drop in pH during the storage  
phase has been reported in most studies and the change is usually conditioned by the composition of  
the additive (Paszczyk et al., 2019; El-Sayed, 2020). According to Yildiz and Ozcan, (2021), seed oil  
enrichment with black cumin produced low pH changes in storage.  
4.2. Water-Holding Capacity and Syneresis.  
One of the major textural defects is syneresis, which is the expulsion of whey. Hydrocolloids are plant  
fibers and polysaccharides, which increase the WHC of the gel network. It has been observed that the  
addition of fruits with a high pectin content or oat derived b-glucan can greatly decrease syneresis and  
stabilize the protein network and immobilize free water (Gomez et al., 2020; Niamah et al., 2020). On  
the other hand, the presence of insoluble particles in raw plant materials may interfere with the casein  
matrix resulting in the augmentation of whey separation (Sendra et al., 2020).  
4.3. Rheology and Viscosity  
The rheological behavior that is defined by the parameters like consistency index and thixotropy are  
important towards consumer acceptance. Plant fibers tend to elevate the apparent viscosity of yogurt as  
a result of the ability to bind water. But this effect is dependent on the concentration and the size of  
the particle. Plant extracts that are nano-encapsulated or micro-particulated do not make the gel gritty,  
whereas large particles can contribute to a more cohesive gel (Gahruie et al., 2020; Rinaldi et al.,  
2020). Jovanovic et al. (2021) have proved that apple fiber had a significant effect on the consistency  
coefficient of probiotic yogurt.  
Table 3: Influence of Plant Enrichment on Physicochemical Properties of Yogurt  
Plant Additive Concentration Effect on pH  
Effect  
on Effect  
on Reference  
Syneresis  
Viscosity  
Pomegranate  
Juice  
10%  
Slight decrease Decreased  
Increased  
(Aswal et al.,  
2021)  
(WHC)  
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Grape Pomace 2%  
Stable  
Stable  
Decreased  
Increased  
(Gahruie  
et  
(more shear- al., 2020)  
thinning)  
0.5%  
Significant  
decrease  
Significant  
increase  
(Gomez et al.,  
Oat β-glucan  
2020)  
Carrot Pulp  
5%  
Slight decrease Increased (due Decreased  
to fiber  
(Paszczyk  
al., 2019)  
et  
disruption)  
Turmeric  
0.2%  
5%  
No change  
No change  
No change  
Increased  
(Alves-Silva et  
al., 2020)  
Black Carrot  
Slight decrease Decreased  
(Turgut  
Çakmakçı,  
2020)  
and  
Psyllium  
Husk  
1%  
Stable  
Significant  
decrease  
Increased  
(Niamah  
al., 2020)  
et  
5. Sensory Evaluation and Consumer Acceptability  
Consumer acceptance is what determines the success of functional yogurt. Although enrichment of  
plants adds functionality, they frequently add off flavor, bitter taste or unwanted colors that may ruin  
the traditional yogurt experience.  
5.1. Color  
The first attribute of sensory attribute is color. Although natural pigments (e.g., berries or carrots) can  
result in nice colors, some unanticipated ones, such as turmeric (yellow) or green tea (greenish-brown)  
can make the otherwise white or fruit-colored yogurt. Research has shown that consumers may be  
drawn to novelty, but radical changes in color may result in a backlash (Du et al., 2021; Fazilah et al.,  
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2020). Turgut and Cakmakci (2020) discovered that the carrot concentrate (black) was beneficial in  
giving a pleasant purple-red hue to the panelists.  
5.2. Flavor and Taste  
Plant extracts are often used to add a bitter flavor (because of polyphenols), astringency or herbal  
flavor. To present the bioactive compounds, encapsulation technologies have been utilized to cover  
ugly tastes. As an illustration, microencapsulated curcumin greatly alters bitter taste of free curcumin,  
but preserves an antioxidant activity (Alves-Silva et al., 2020; Giri et al., 2020). Balance of sweetness is  
also essential; natural sweeteners are also usually added to plant fortification to conceal bitterness  
(Georgakopoulos et al., 2019).  
5.3. Texture and Mouthfeel  
One of the quality determinants of yogurt is Mouthfeel. Fiber enrichment may result in a perceived  
grittiness or pastiness in case the particle size is not managed. It has been demonstrated that high-  
pressure homogenization of plant additives before incorporation enhances the viscosity and general  
palatability of the end product (Espirito-Santo et al., 2021; Rinaldi et al., 2020). To ensure the  
acceptable mouthfeel in yogurt, Sendra et al. (2020) identified that citrus by-products needed the  
reduction of particle size.  
Table 4: Sensory Characteristics of Functional Yogurt Enriched with Plant Bioactives  
Plant Additive  
Positive Sensory Negative Sensory Strategy  
for Reference  
Attributes  
Attributes  
Improvement  
Green  
Tea Novel,  
aroma  
herbal Bitterness,  
Encapsulation; use (Kobus-Cisowska  
Extract  
astringency, grey of sweeteners  
et al., 2019)  
color  
Turmeric  
Appealing yellow Earthy,  
color taste  
bitter Microencapsulation; (Alves-Silva et al.,  
combination  
fruit  
with 2020)  
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Grape Pomace  
Red/purple hue, Astringency, seed Particle  
size (Gahruie et al.,  
fiber 2020)  
fruity notes  
grittiness  
reduction;  
separation  
Pomegranate  
Banana Flour  
Black Carrot  
Sweet Potato  
Pleasant  
red Sourness,  
low Prebiotic  
addition  
fiber (Aswal  
2021)  
et  
al.,  
color, tangy taste  
viscosity  
Creamy  
sweet  
texture, Dough-like flavor Blending with fruits  
(Gómez et al.,  
2020)  
Attractive purple Earthy aftertaste  
color  
Sugar addition  
(Turgut  
and  
Çakmakçı, 2020)  
Natural sweetness Slight  
note  
vegetal Blending with spices (El-Sayed et al.,  
2020)  
6. Functional and Health Benefits  
In addition to nutrition, enriched yogurts have a high bioactivity. The functional advantages that have  
been determined as the main ones are antioxidant capacity and possible therapeutic effects.  
6.1. Antioxidant Activity  
Plant enrichment increases significantly the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity  
(measured by DPPH, ABTS or FRAP assays) of yogurt. It has been shown that the antioxidant activity  
of enriched yogurt can be 2-5 times higher than that of plain yogurt and these characteristics are often  
preserved even during refrigeration (Du et al., 2021; Rashidinejad et al., 2021). According to Sah et al.  
(2020), pineapple waste powder positively affected TPC and antioxidant activity of yogurt in addition  
to increasing the viability of the probiotics. The fermentation process can enhance the bioaccessibility  
of these antioxidants because bacterial enzymes can release bound phenolics in the cell walls of plants  
(Baba et al., 2020).  
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6.2. Anti-inflammatory and Anti-hypertensive Action.  
In vitro and animal model research has demonstrated that functional yogurt supplemented with  
polyphenol rich extracts has the capacity to prevent pro-inflammatory cytokines and angiotensin-  
converting enzyme (ACE). As an example, pomegranate peel extract used as a yogurt supplement  
showed great ACE-inhibitory effect, which indicates possible antihypertensive effect (Aswal et al.,  
2021; Beltran-Barrientos et al., 2018). Giri et al. (2020) conducted a review on the  
immunomodulatory effects of curcumin in functional food and reported that it can be used in yogurt  
recipes.  
6.3. Antimicrobial Activity  
LAB metabolites (bacteriocins, organic acids) can be combined with plant antimicrobials (e.g., essential  
oils), which will result in a synergistic hurdle effect against foodborne pathogens like Escherichia coli  
and Listeria monocytogenes and enhance safety and shelf-life (Alves-Silva et al., 2020; Sakkas et al.,  
2021). Georgakopoulos et al. (2019) proved that the oregano essential oil in yogurt was a suitable way  
to inhibit the Listeria monocytogenes growth throughout the storage. The same results were found by  
Hashemi et al. (2019), who demonstrated the antimicrobial synergy between the Zataria multiflori  
essential oil and LAB cultures.  
7. Challenges and Future Perspectives  
Although the prospect has good prognosis, there are a number of obstacles that impede the  
commercialization of plant enriched functional yogurt.  
7.1. Bioavailability and Bio accessibility  
One of the major questions is whether the bioactive compounds are bioavailable upon processing and  
gastrointestinal digestion. Dairy matrix has the ability to stabilize polyphenols and also contains  
polyphenols, which can change the absorption. It is advised that future studies address in vitro models  
of digestion to determine the actual bioaccessibility of such compounds (Espirito-Santo et al., 2021;  
Baba et al., 2020). Mohammadi et al. (2021) stressed the necessity of harmonized procedures to assess  
the bioaccessibility of dairy products with functional purposes.  
7.2. Standardization  
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The challenge to standardization is the variability of phytochemical composition because of  
geographical origin, time of harvesting and processing procedures. It is critical to develop standardized  
extracts or concentrates that have reproducible bioactivity profiles to provide reproducible functional  
action (Shahidi and Alasalvar, 2016; Caleja et al., 2017). Champagne et al. (2020) emphasized quality  
control as a key attribute in probiotic and plant-enriched dairy products.  
7.3. New Processing Technologies.  
Microencapsulation, nano emulsions and high-pressure processing (HPP) are emerging technologies  
that reduce sensory flaws and preserve the bioactive compounds. Off flavors can be covered, release can  
be regulated and sensitive compounds are more stable to fermentation and storage when encapsulated  
(Kobus-Cisowska et al., 2019; Rinaldi et al., 2020). Reviewing the use of plant essential oils in dairy  
products, Karimi et al. (2020) find out that encapsulation technologies could greatly enhance their  
stability and activity.  
7.4. Sustainability  
Circular economy principles are in line with the use of agri-food by-products (e.g., fruit peels, seed  
pomace) as sources of bioactives. This will not only decrease waste but also decrease the product cost,  
which will make them more affordable (Gahruie et al., 2020; Sah et al., 2020). Sendra et al. (2020)  
showed that citrus by-products can be incorporated into yogurt with the purpose of functionality and  
sustainability.  
8. Conclusion  
Commercialization of functional yogurt supplemented with plant-based bioactive ingredients is an  
important development in the dairy industry as it fills the gap between nutrition and therapeutics. The  
addition of polyphenols, fiber and natural pigments to yogurt through strategic fortification (using  
pomegranate, green tea, grape pomace and oats) is reported to increase antioxidant activity, gut  
microbiota homeostasy and may have cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. Nonetheless,  
to make such products commercially successful, a delicate balance is required. The technological issues,  
such as the effects on the viability of starter cultures, changes in texture and rheology (syneresis,  
viscosity) and the sensory issues vital to the product (flavor, color, mouthfeel) should be carefully  
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considered. Future studies need to aim at maximizing incorporation techniques using emerging  
technologies such as encapsulation and nano-emulsification in order to maintain the bioactivity and at  
the same time be consumer friendly. Moreover, agri-food by-products can be used as a source of these  
bioactives, which provides a sustainable future. Finally, a multidisciplinary method involving food  
science, nutrition and sensory analysis is needed to develop a stable, palatable and genuinely functional  
yogurt that is able to satisfy the needs of the health-conscious consumer.  
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