Gitana Alenčikienė

Development of a functional whey beverage, containing calcium, vitamin D, and prebiotic dietary fiber, and its influence on human health

This study describes the development of a beverage made from curd whey with the addition of functional ingredients such as calcium, vitamin D3, prebiotic dietary fiber, and its influence on human health. Samples of beverages with added calcium phosphate or calcium lactate were analyzed for the selection of optimal calcium preparation. Quality attributes of beverages were evaluated in their fresh state and during storage at intervals of 15, 30, and 45 days. The beverage with calcium lactate was chosen as the one with most stable quality indices for evaluation of the effect on health status of volunteers (n=30). Five hundred milliliters of beverage were consumed daily by the volunteers over a period of 21 days. A significant decrease in low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (P<0.01) and triglycerides (P<0.01) concentrations after consumption of functional whey beverage with calcium lactate, vitamin D3, and prebiotic dietary fiber was determined.

An inulin-enriched soy drink and its lowering effect on oxidized low density lipoproteins in healthy volunteers.

Abstract Due to selection of appropriate ingredients and parameters, a microbiologically-safe drink enriched with soy protein isolate (SPI) and prebiotic dietary fiber inulin with high scores of acceptability was produced. The results of medical nutrition survey showed that on the 21 day of using drink the level of oxidized low density lipoproteins (LDL) significantly decreased while the other biochemical parameters of blood of healthy patients as compared to the control tests remained unchanged. As well there was no apparent impact on the intestinal microflora balance of recipients established.

Fermented Buttermilk-Based Beverage: Impact on Young Volunteers' Health Parameters

Liutkevicius A., Speicienė V., Alencikienė G., Mieželienė A., Narkevicius R., Kaminskas A., Abaravicius J.A., Vitkus D., Jablonskienė V., Sekmokienė D. (2016): Fermented buttermilk-based beverage: impact on young volunteers’ health parameters. Czech J. Food Sci., 34: 143–148. The technology of a functional fermented buttermilk-based beverage was developed and the impact of beverage con sumption on the health parameters of young volunteers was studied. Three functional beverages were made on the basis of buttermilk, which differed in the composition. The beverage containing the buttermilk-skimmed milk-milk protein concentrate (0.3%) as a product with the preferred quality characteristics (synaeresis, viscosity, sensory properties, and acceptability) was used for further studies regarding the impact on human health. The medical nutrition experi ments did not show any statistically significant effect on the biochemical blood parameters of 25 young volunteers after a 21-day period of the consumption of fermented buttermilk beverage with milk protein concentrate, although some of them (e.g. total, low- and high-density cholesterol, triacylglycerol concentrations, etc.) slightly decreased. The anthropometric and body composition, arterial blood pressure, and pulse evaluation indicators of recipients did not change significantly.