G. 2052
Page 2
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,
GRJNST, Volume: 04 - Issue 2 (2026) / ISSN P: 2790-7643
Article ID: 2052