Pu-erh tea added to probiotic yoghurt changes antioxidants and texture
What it found
Adding Pu-erh tea infusion to probiotic yoghurt boosted its antioxidant power and slightly helped one starter bacteria, but made the yoghurt softer and less liked by tasters.
The work was done in yoghurt, not in people.
What they found
Antioxidants boosted
Tea yoghurts had a 3 to 6.5-fold rise in ferric reducing antioxidant power and a 10 to 24-fold rise in anti-radical power compared with plain yoghurt.
Starter bacteria viability
Pu-erh tea slightly increased the viability of L. acidophilus and lowered the pH of the yoghurts.
Texture changes
Higher tea concentrations made the yoghurts less firm and less consistent, while cohesiveness and viscosity index stayed the same.
Colour and taste
Tea changed the colour and sensory properties, and tasters rated the tea yoghurts lower than plain yoghurt. The 15% tea version scored highest among the tea yoghurts.
What the authors conclude
“Pu-erh tea may be successfully applied as a functional additive to probiotic yoghurts, signifi- cantly enhancing the antioxidant properties of fermented milk and ensuring a high rate of starter bacteria viability during storage.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say Pu-erh tea may be successfully applied as a functional additive to probiotic yoghurts, significantly enhancing the antioxidant properties of fermented milk and ensuring a high rate of starter bacteria viability during storage.
- They advise that the level of fortification must be carefully chosen as some doses negatively influence texture parameters and sensory quality.
How it was done
Interest has grown in functional foods enriched with bioactive components, and dairy products with tea extracts are good examples. Most studies focus on green tea, so the authors wanted to test Pu-erh tea instead.
They made ABT-yoghurts from cow's milk with 0%, 5%, 10% or 15% Pu-erh tea infusion added before fermentation. The yoghurts were tested one day after production for colour and after 7, 14 and 21 days of cold storage for antioxidants, acidity, pH, texture, starter bacteria and sensory quality.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This study looked only at yoghurt properties in the lab, not at health effects in people.
- It cannot show whether eating these yoghurts would have any effect on a person's health.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Agriculture in Krakow, Poland
The paper
- Title
- Characteristics of probiotic yoghurts supplemented with Pu-erh tea infusion
- Type
- Study
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Najgebaue-Lejko D (2019). Characteristics of probiotic yoghurts supplemented with Pu-erh tea infusion. Acta scientiarum polonorum. Technologia alimentaria. doi:10.17306/J.AFS.0640PubMed 31256543DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error