Effect of Synbiotic Yogurt Made with Indigenous Probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum Mut7 and Sweet Potato Fiber (Ipomoea batatas) in Healthy Children

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of synbiotic yogurt on the immune responses and microbiota profile of the feces. A double-blinded randomized controlled trial with cross over design was used in this study. Twenty children aged 8-12 years were recruited and assigned into 2 groups i.e. control yogurt and synbiotic yogurt. They received yogurt 50g/day for 14 days. The food consumption was recalled with 4x24 hours food recall. At the end of experiment, the saliva and feces were collected and analyzed for sIgA. The microbiota profile of the feces was enumerated in selective medium. The results showed that consumption of synbiotic yogurt resulted in a higher concentration of sIgA in saliva and feces compared to control yogurt. The microbiota profile of the synbiotic group was not significantly different with control group. This indicated that the new synbiotic yogurt has similar health benefit as the regular yogurt.