Indian J. Dairy Sci.

68(6), 2015

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Utilization of lemongrass distillate in the preparation of yoghurt

Harin Sutariya and Jayaraj Rao K
Received: 02 January 2015/ Accepted: 07 July 2015

Abstract

Lemongrass
(Cymbopogon
flexuosus), a tropical grass, possesses aromatic leaves whose
extract can be used as flavouring material in fermented
products. Yoghurt is similar to dahi in its physical appearance;
it possesses excellent nutritional and therapeutic properties.
In this project, natural lemongrass flavor was used in yoghurt
preparation. Flavour from fresh lemongrass leaves was
extracted by steam distillation and used in yoghurt @ 1, 2,
3 and 4% levels. Out of these, two per cent level of addition
was found to be optimum. The composition of yoghurt was:
fat 3.42-3.47 %, protein 3.40-3.43 %, lactose 4.65-4.70 %, ash
0.80-0.83 %, sucrose 7.95-8.03 % and total solids 20.34-20.46
%. By lemon grass distillate incorporation, there was no
significant change in pH and acidity (% L.A.) of yoghurt
samples, which ranged from 4.26-4.30 and 0.84-0.86%,
respectively. Firmness (N) of yoghurts determined by Texture
Analyzer varied from 0.912 -1.227 N and consistency of
yoghurt varied from 1.725-2.249 N.sec. Shelf life of yoghurt
was not affected by incorporation of lemongrass distillate
and was observed to be 11 days at 5C. The developed
technology can be employed for large scale production of
yoghurt incorporating lemongrass distillate.

Keywords : Lemongrass, yoghurt, firmness, consistency,

shelf life, flavour, steam distillate
Introduction
Fermented milks and products are probably the most
consumed category of dairy products throughout the world.
Fermented milks were developed throughout the world as a
means of preserving milk solids against spoilage. So, we find

Harin Sutariya ( ) and Jayaraj Rao, K

Dairy Technology Section, Southern Regional Station,
ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute,
Adugodi, Bangalore, Karnataka - 560 030, INDIA.
Harin Sutariya
Dairy Technology Section, Southern Regional Station, ICAR-National
Dairy Research Institute, Adugodi, Bangalore, Karnataka - 560 030,
INDIA. E-mail: hans3097@gmail.com
Mobile: +91 7204656462

a variety of these products specific to each continent. But the

scale of their production ranges from house hold production
to industrial scale, where in use of selected starter cultures,
automatic processes and modern equipments are involved.
Among the health foods of dairy origin, fermented products
top the list.
Yoghurt possesses special nutritional attributes. Its
consumption seemed to be associated with population having
greater longevity. Recent studies have provided evidence of
beneficial role of yoghurt in human digestion and physiology
(Breslaw and Kleyn, 1973; Piaia et al., 2003). Yoghurt cultures
produce certain metabolites during their growth in milk. It also
allows partial digestion of the milk proteins which in turn can
be absorbed more rapidly than the native protein in milk.
Some of these metabolites also have definite antagonistic
effect against food borne pathogens. It is also well supported
with studies that lactose intolerant individuals may also be
able to consume the yoghurt without any adverse effects.
Kaup (1988) stated that yoghurt is recommended to the lactose
intolerant individuals because of the reduced lactose content.
Besides this, lactic acid also helps in the absorption of calcium
and phosphorus in the intestine.
Yoghurt or yoghurt like products have been used as the most
popular vehicle for incorporation of probiotic organisms mainly
Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli. Attempts were also made to
enhance the health benefits of yoghurt by incorporating aloe
vera, soya, and other ingredients (Osundahunsi et al., 2007;
Panesar et al., 2014,). These efforts are continuing with newer
ingredients being tried especially plant derived compounds or
phytochemicals. Lemongrass extract is one of such ingredients
that can be incorporated into yoghurt for further boosting the
latter's health beneficial properties, because lemongrass is well
known for its properties such as anti-carcinogenic effects,
anti-inflammatory/analgesic property, antioxidant action and
cholesterol reduction in blood (Agbafor and Akubugwo, 2007).
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) is a herb having
flavourful leaves and roots. It is a tropical grass native to
southern parts of India and Sri Lanka. It yields aromatic oil
that is used as flavoring, and in perfumery and medicine
(Leite et al., 1986). Herbal tea of lemongrass is used as

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sedative as well as immune stimulant in India. The extract

also acts as a good appetizer and at the same time makes the
products more palatable and acceptable to a large group of
consumers (Sahu et al., 2005). There is also a report that
describes antimicrobial effects of lemongrass, including
activity against both gram-positive and gram- negative
bacterial pathogens, and fungi (Helal et al., 2006).
Lemongrass has been used in several food stuffs including
baked goods and confections. It is widely used as an essential
ingredient in Asian cuisines because of its sharp lemon
flavour. Lemongrass adds a pleasant light, lemony flavor to
foods and sauces, because it blends well with garlic, chili,
and other spicy ingredients. Its citrus taste mitigates the
spiciness, as well as the richness, of many Asian dishes
(Depken, 2011). Lemongrass oil and sticks as mosquito
repellants are extensively being sold in the market. Ejechi et
al. (1998) reported utility of lemongrass in preserving yoghurt
by hurdle technology. Sutariya and Rao (2014) used
lemongrass extract in lassi preparation. Lemongrass is Generally
Recognized as Safe (GRAS) in the United States, but there is
no mention of lemongrass in FSSAI rules as yet. A suggested
safe limit for humans (based on an experiment in rats) is 0.7
mg/kg/day of the essential oil (Fandohan et al., 2008). In this
project, lemongrass flavour was extracted from fresh
lemongrass leaves and used as flavouring agent in the
preparation of yoghurt.

Materials and Methods

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) grown in the Institute
garden was used for the project work. Fresh leaves of medium
size, matured and of uniformly green colour were selected
and cut from the plant and used for flavour extraction. Fresh
cow milk was procured from Institute Cattle Yard.Yoghurt
cultures (Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus
delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus) required for the study were
obtained from the Dairy Chemistry and Bacteriology Section
of the Institute.
Preparation of lemongrass distillate
Freshly picked lemongrass leaves were washed under running
tap water to remove dust and any extraneous material. The
leaves were cut into small pieces and ground in a grinder.
The ground leaves (100 g) were transferred to 2000 ml round
bottom flask and 1000 ml distilled water was added and
mixed. The mixture was boiled and the vapours condensed
over an ice bath and collected in 100 ml conical flask. The
flask was immediately closed tightly with aluminium foil and
transferred to refrigerator. Preliminary trials were carried out
to decide on the quantity of leaves to be used, quantity of
water, amount of distillate to be collected etc. It was observed

that about 35 ml distillate collection was enough to extract

most of the aroma compounds from 100 g of lemongrass
leaves.
Preparation of Yoghurt
Yoghurt was prepared using the method of Varga (2006) with
slight modification, in two batches: one extracting flavor from
lemongrass leaves by heating them in milk and the other
adding lemongrass distillate into milk before incubation.
Fresh cow milk was standardized to 3.5% fat and 9.0% SNF
and homogenized in Goma Homogenizer at 2500 and 500 psi.
Freshly picked lemongrass leaves washed and cut to 3-5 cm
size were added to the homogenized milk @ 1, 2, 3 and 4%,
heated at 852C for 10 min. Sugar was added @ 8% w/v on
the basis of milk. The milk was cooled to 42C and inoculated
with the yoghurt culture @2% under clean environment and
mixed for uniform distribution of culture organisms.The
inoculated milk was then transferred to sterilized 100 ml
polystyrene cups, which were capped and incubated at 42
1C for 4-4.5 hr. At the end of incubation, determined based
on the satisfactory setting appearance (related to a final pH
of about 4.8), the cups were transferred to refrigerator for
cooling.
In another batch, lemongrass distillate was added to
homogenized milk (42C) @ 1, 2, 3 and 4% and yoghurt was
prepared by the same procedure as described above.
Storage study
Yoghurt cups were stored in a refrigerator (7-10C) and
changes in sensory characteristics and yeast and mold count
of yoghurt were monitored at regular intervals during storage.
Analyses
Chemical
Total solids, ash and fat contents in yoghurt were determined
by gravimetric method described in BIS (1981), protein by
standard micro Kjeldahl method (AOAC, 2005), and lactose
and sucrose by Lane Eynon titration method (BIS, 1981). The
titratable acidity of yoghurt was determined by the method
described in BIS (1981) and pH by a digital pH-meter (Digisun
Electronics, Hyderabad, and Model: DI 707).
Microbiological
The yeast and mold count of the product was estimated by
pour plate technique as per the method of BIS (1981).

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Sensory
Optimal levels of the flavour ingredient used during
standardization of the process technology for preparation of
yoghurt were determined by subjective analysis. Refrigerated
product samples were evaluated for their sensory attributes
viz. colour and appearance, body and texture, flavour,
sweetness and overall acceptability by a trained sensory panel
(minimum of 6 members) on a 9 - point hedonic scale (Amerine
et al., 1965).
Rheological
TA.XT plus Stable Micro System, England was used for
measuring firmness and consistency of yoghurt. A p/25 probe
was used during experiment. The temperature of sample was
kept at about 5C (Kumar and Mishra, 2004). The instrument
test settings of TA.XT plus instrument were as follows: Pre
test speed- 1.0 mm/s; Test speed-10.0 mm/s; Distance- 10.0
mm; Trigger force-5 g. After loading the test settings, the
yoghurt cup was placed on the platform and on initiation, the
probe moved down and penetrated the product up to a
distance of 10 mm and retracted, generating a force - time
curve (Fig.1). From the curve, the firmness (A) and consistency
(B) values were determined. The firmness value was measured
in Newton and consistency value measured in Newton. Sec.
Statistical Analysis
Data of sensory and rheological analyses obtained in the
study were subjected to statistical analysis by one way ANOVA
using MS-Excel package version 2007. The differences among
treatments were measured at 5% level of significance.

Results and Discussion

Effect of lemongrass leaves on sensory quality of yoghurt
When the lemongrass leaves were added to milk, heated and
filtered for flavour extraction, the colour and appearance of
the yoghurt prepared from the milk was slightly affected in
comparison to control (Table-1). However, the color and
appearance (CA) score remained same as that of control (score

7.92) up to 2% of leaves utilization (score 8.00). But thereafter,

the CA score significantly reduced up to 4% leaves addition
(score 7.56), but the scores of CA remained well within
acceptable limit. The use of 3 and 4% leaves imparted slight
green colour to yoghurt which found less acceptance with
the judges. Regarding body and texture (BT), it may be noticed
from the results presented in Table-1 that it remained almost
unaffected up to 3% leaves level (scores 7.68 - 7.36), but 4%
leaves addition showed decreased score of 7.2, which may be
due to slightly soft body of the yoghurt. The flavour parameter
as expected was enhanced significantly by lemongrass leaves,
but 3% and 4% addition was found to result in too harsh
flavor and aroma. The flavour score of the control sample
without addition of lemongrass leaves was 7.77, whereas that
for 1% leaf addition was 7.42 and for 2% addition it was 8.08
which was statistically significant compared to control score.
This shows that 2% addition of leaves gave higher flavour
score. Higher amounts of leaves resulted in harsh and grassy
flavour in the product; hence significantly less flavour scores
were obtained (Table-1). The same trend was reflected in
overall acceptance score. The overall acceptance (OA) score
for control sample was 7.66 which significantly enhanced
to 7.95 for 2% addition of lemongrass leaves.
Based on the sensory evaluation results it was recommended
that lemongrass leaves could be used at 2% by weight of milk
for direct flavour extraction into milk for yoghurt preparation
without any adverse effect on CA and BT quality and with
enhanced flavour quality.
Effect of lemongrass distillate on sensory quality of yoghurt
When lemongrass leaves were boiled in milk, all the flavour
compounds were expected to get extracted into milk. These
may also include compounds which contribute harsh leafy
flavors. Since most of the grassy flavors are caused by volatile
compounds especially steam volatile ones, it was decided to
distill lemongrass leaves and use the distillate obtained in
yoghurt preparation. This distillate was expected to contain
steam volatile flavour compounds excluding the non-volatile
undesirable flavour compounds.
The colorless distillate stored in refrigerator was used @ 1,
2, 3 and 4% concentrations in milk (v/v) using which yoghurt
was prepared and evaluated for sensory acceptance. The

Table 1 Effect of lemongrass leaves (w/v of milk) on sensory acceptance score of yoghurt
Attributes
Colour and appearance
Body and texture
Flavour
Overall acceptability

Control

1%

2%

3%

4%

7.920.06c
7.680.09b
7.770.11c
7.660.06c

7.830.07bc
7.600.11b
7.420.11b
7.520.07bc

8.000.05c
7.660.08b
8.080.08d
7.950.05d

7.680.08ab
7.360.10ab
7.270.09b
7.320.09b

7.560.09a
7.200.12a
6.930.10a
7.030.10a

Note: Values with different superscripts in a row are significantly different (P < 0.05)
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Figure 1: Force - time curve of lemongrass flavoured yoghurt obtained by Texture Analyser
A - Maximum force on positive peak (firmness); B - Area of positive peak (consistency)

results presented in Table-2 indicate that the distillate

containing yoghurt was better accepted by judges compared
to control. As expected, there was no or minor effect on the
CA score of yoghurt. The CA score ranged from 7.77 to 7.94
in all samples including control yoghurt. Regarding BT score,
there was no influence till 2% addition of the distillate, but
thereafter the BT score slightly decreased though statistically
significant. However, the BT score was still in acceptable
range. The BT score for control, 1% and 2% distillate added
samples were 7.83, 7.72 and 7.78, respectively which were
significantly different from the scores of 3 and 4% distillate
containing samples (Table-2). Flavour scores revealed that its
acceptance was enhanced by the addition of 2% distillate,
because it imparted a pleasing flavour to yoghurt compared
to tartness of the plain sweetened yoghurt. Use of 1% distillate
did not enhance the flavour score, but use of 3 and 4%
distillate significantly reduced the scores, because at these
levels the flavour was evaluated as harsh and as containing
slight leafy odour. This means that when the leaves were
distilled, some compounds responsible for leafy odour were
also distilled. Probably the distillate required further refinement
such as fractional distillation which however is out of scope
of the present work. The overall acceptance scores also
indicated that 2% distillate addition yielded highest score
(7.85) which was significantly higher than that of control
sample (7.66) (P<0.05). So, use of higher amounts of distillate
i.e. 3 and 4% was not recommended.

Effect of lemongrass distillate on physico-chemical

characteristics of yoghurt
The chemical composition of control yoghurt as well as
distillate added yoghurt sample is given in Table-3. It may be
observed that there was little difference between the control
and experimental yoghurt samples indicating no influence of
the distillate on the chemical composition.
Effect of lemongrass distillate on textural properties of yoghurt
Textural property is an important attribute of set yoghurt,
consisting of a firm, smooth body along with fine texture
(Tamime and Robinson, 1999). Textural parameters of yoghurt
were evaluated to determine any effect of addition of distillate
on the instrumental textural parameters. Firmness and
consistency of yoghurt were measured using Texture Analyzer
and mean values presented in Table-4. The firmness of control
sample was 1.312 N that apparently decreased to 0.912 N in
4% distillate added yoghurt, which however was not
statistically significant. The consistency was 2.606 N.sec which
decreased to 1.725 N.sec by addition of 4% distillate. It may
be noticed that the consistency was not affected till the
addition of 2%
distillate, but there after significantly
decreased (P<0.05).
The statistical analysis indicated no significant difference of
distillate on firmness, but a significant effect on the

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Table 2 Effect of lemongrass distillate (v/v of milk) on sensory acceptance score of yoghurt
Attributes

Control

1%

Colour and appearance

7.940.03

7.870.04

7.980.03

7.800.04

7.770.05a

Body and texture

7.830.04c

7.720.06abc

7.780.05bc

7.630.06ab

7.580.07a

Flavour

7.590.07c

7.550.06bc

7.850.04d

7.360.07ab

7.170.08a

Overall acceptability

7.660.07c

7.600.06bc

7.850.05d

7.460.07ab

7.290.07a

2%
ab

3%
b

4%
a

Note: Value with different superscripts in a column are significantly different (P<0.05)
Table 3 Physico-chemical characteristics of yoghurt prepared with different levels of lemongrass distillate
Attributes

Control

With distillate
(1-4%)

Attributes

Control

With distillate
(1-4%)

Fat %
Protein%
Lactose%
Ash%

3.50
3.44
4.71
0.85

3.42-3.47
3.40-3.43
4.65-4.70
0.80-0.83

Sucrose%
Total solid%
pH
Acidity(%LA)

8.03
20.53
4.25
0.85

7.95-8.03
20.34-20.46
4.26-4.30
0.84-0.86

Table 4 Effect of lemongrass distillate on the textural properties of yoghurt

Attributes

Firmness (N)

Consistency (N.sec)

Control
1%
2%
3%
4%

1.3120.16a
1.2270.15a
1.0720.12a
0.938 0.12a
0.9120.13a

2.606 0.22b
2.249 0.22ab
2.003 0.19ab
1.840 0.17a
1.7250.17a

Note: Value with different superscripts in a column are significantly different (P<0.05)
Temperature of measurement: 5C
Table 5 Changes in pH of yoghurt during storage at 5C
Days of storage

0
3
6
9
11

Lemongrass Distillate
Control (0%)

1%

4.260.020
4.200.020dJ
4.130.023cI
3.960.022bJ
3.920.028aI

4.280.026
4.230.034dI
4.170.030cHI
4.030.027bI
3.960.029aH

eI

2%

3%

4.290.031
4.250.024dHI
4.170.025cH
4.040.028bHI
3.980.031aH

eI

eH

4%

4.310.041
4.250.035dH
4.190.031cGH
4.050.035bGHI
4.020.034aG
eH

4.340.036eG
4.280.030dG
4.220.034cG
4.070.039bGH
4.040.035aG

Note:Mean values in a column with different lower case superscripts are significantly different (P<0.05) and mean values in a row
with different upper case superscripts are significantly different (P<0.05)
consistency of yoghurt. Since addition of up to 4 ml distillate
per 100 ml milk may not much add to dilution factor, it might
alter the culture growth characteristic resulting in differences
in consistency. It is well known that type of culture growth
significantly influences the consistency of yoghurt (Tamime
and Robinson, 1999).

2009). Helal et al. (2006) reported that aromatic leaves possess

antimicrobial compounds; hence, these might provide shelf
life benefits to products in which they are used. Therefore,
shelf life study was carried out to know the effect of the
distillate addition on the shelf life of yoghurt. During the
storage at 5C, changes in various parameters were monitored.

Storage study

Changes in pH

Set yoghurt has a shelf life of 10 days at 4C (Engin et al.,

pH is an important attribute that changes during storage of

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dairy products, especially fermented varieties, that is why it

is normally taken as one of the parameters monitored to
observe progressive changes in products. In yoghurt also it
is an important parameter to be monitored during storage.
From the results presented in Table-5, it may be noticed that
there was a gradual decrease in pH during the storage. Fresh
samples (zero day) possessed a pH ranging from 4.26 - 4.34.
These values decreased to 3.92 - 4.04 at the end of 11 days
of storage at 5C irrespective of the amount of distillate used.
The decrease in pH appeared to be slightly more in control
than in experimental samples. The decrease in pH may be
attributed to continuous fermentation changes during storage.
It may be seen that the decrease in pH in all the samples was
significant (P<0.05).
Changes in acidity
Similar to pH, acidity is also a good indicator to monitor
storage related changes in dairy products, especially fermented
products. Acidity of the yoghurt was measured during storage
and expressed as per cent lactic acid. The results are presented
in Table-6. It may be noticed that the acidity values of all
yoghurt samples gradually increased during storage. The initial
acidity value of yoghurt samples ranged from 0.83 - 0.86%
LA. These values increased to 0.89 - 0.92% LA at the end of
11 days of storage. There seemed to be no difference in the

acidity development between control and experimental samples

of yoghurt. The changes in acidity of samples may be
attributed to the growth of organisms and progress in
fermentation.
The increase in acidity during storage in
control as well as distillate containing yoghurt was significant
(P<0.05).
Changes in sensory quality of yoghurt during storage
The best way to evaluate shelf life is to evaluate changes in
sensory parameters of the product because these are directly
related consumer acceptance. These were also monitored
during storage of yoghurt samples.
Color and appearance
The color and appearance (CA) of good quality yoghurt
should be clean without any mold appearance, gas bubbles
and visible whey separation (Tamime and Robinson, 1999).
The CA results presented in Table-7 indicate that the score
decreased during the storage. In case of control sample the
CA score decreased from an initial value of 8.0 to 7.4 at the
end of 11 days of storage. Similar trend was observed in case
of distillate added yoghurt samples. The score decreased
from an initial range of 7.73 - 8.03 to a score of 7.27 - 7.40
at the end of storage of all distillate containing samples
(significant decrease at P<0.05). The decreasing trend may be

Table 6 Changes in acidity (%LA) of yoghurt during storage at 5C

Days of storage

Lemongrass Distillate
Control (0%)

1%

2%

3%

4%

0.860.004aGH
0.850.004aGH
0.850.005aGH
0.830.004aH
0
0.860.006aG
3
0.870.005aG
0.870.004bG
0.860.003abG
0.860.003abG
0.850.003bH
6
0.880.004abG
0.870.005bH
0.870.004bHI
0.860.003bcGH
0.860.004bcI
9
0.090.004bG
0.890.004cG
0.880.004cGH
0.880.004bcGH
0.870.004cdH
11
0.920.003cG
0.910.003dH
0.900.004dI
0.900.004cI
0.890.004dJ
Note:Mean values in a column with different lower case superscripts are significantly different (P<0.05) and mean values in a row
with different upper case superscripts are significantly different (P<0.05)
Table 7 Changes in colour and appearance score of yoghurt during storage at 5C
Days of storage

Lemongrass Distillate
Control (0%)

1%

2%

3%

4%

0
8.000.03dG
7.870.04dH
8.030.06cG
7.770.04cI
7.730.04dI
3
7.830.05dH
7.770.05cdI
7.900.05bcG
7.700.04cI
7.600.04bcJ
6
7.730.04cH
7.670.04bcH
7.800.04bcG
7.670.04bcH
7.600.04bcI
9
7.600.04bG
7.570.04bH
7.630.04abG
7.540.06bH
7.500.05bH
aG
aG
aG
aH
11
7.400.05
7.370.04
7.400.04
7.300.05
7.270.04aH
Note:Mean values in a column with different lower case superscripts are significantly different (P<0.05) and mean values in a row
with different upper case superscripts are significantly different (P<0.05)

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Table 8 Changes in body and texture score of yoghurt during storage at 5C

Days of storage

Lemongrass Distillate
Control (0%)

1%

2%

3%

4%

0
7.800.04cG
7.800.05dG
7.870.05cG
7.700.05cH
7.630.04cI
cH
cH
bcG
cH
3
7.670.05
7.630.04
7.730.04
7.650.04
7.500.04bI
cH
bcI
bcG
cH
6
7.670.04
7.600.04
7.700.05
7.630.04
7.500.04bJ
bH
bH
abG
bI
9
7.500.04
7.500.04
7.570.04
7.430.05
7.430.04bI
aH
aH
aG
aI
11
7.300.04
7.300.04
7.350.04
7.200.04
7.200.03aI
Note: Mean values in a column with different lower case superscripts are significantly different (P<0.05) and mean
values in a row with different upper case superscripts are significantly different (P<0.05)
Table 9 Changes in flavour score of yoghurt during storage at 5C
Days of storage

Lemongrass Distillate
Control (0%)

1%

2%

3%

4%

0
7.800.04cH
7.700.05dH
7.920.05cG
7.670.05cI
7.430.05cJ
cH
bcI
bcG
bcI
3
7.730.05
7.570.04
7.830.05
7.500.04
7.370.04cJ
6
7.530.04bH
7.530.05bcH
7.670.04bG
7.400.05bcI
7.230.04bcJ
bH
bI
bG
abJ
9
7.500.05
7.400.05
7.600.04
7.270.04
7.070.04abK
aH
aH
aG
aI
11
7.130.05
7.130.04
7.300.04
7.070.04
6.900.04aJ
Note:Mean values in a column with different lower case superscripts are significantly different (P<0.05) and mean values
in a row with different upper case superscripts are significantly different (P<0.05)
Table 10 Changes in overall acceptance score of yoghurt during storage at 5C
Days of storage

0
3
6
9
11

Lemongrass Distillate
Control (0%)

1%

2%

3%

4%

7.800.05cH
7.730.04bcH
7.650.04bcG
7.530.05bG
7.300.04aH

7.760.06dH
7.700.04dH
7.570.05cH
7.430.04bH
7.270.04aH

7.900.05dG
7.770.05cG
7.670.04cG
7.550.05bG
7.370.03aG

7.600.04dI
7.470.05cI
7.370.04cI
7.230.04bI
7.130.04aI

7.470.05cJ
7.330.05cJ
7.270.04bcJ
7.070.04abJ
6.920.03aJ

Note: Mean values in a column with different lower case superscripts are significantly different (P<0.05) and mean values in a row
with different upper case superscripts are significantly different (P<0.05)
due to some visible whey separation, which may be attributed
to continued fermentation changes during storage. The scores
at the end of storage showed that the attribute remained
acceptable.
Body and texture
Good quality yoghurt should have a firm body and smooth
texture exhibiting a clean cut with a spoon. It depends on a
number of factors such as starter culture, fermentation stage,
processing step and poor storage conditions (Tamime and
Robinson, 1999). The BT scores during storage of yoghurt

are given in Table-8 which showed that the scores significantly

decreased during storage (P<0.05). In all the samples, the
initial value of 7.63 - 7.87 decreased to 7.20 - 7.35 exhibiting
a significant effect of addition of distillate (P<0.05). The
decrease in scores may be attributed to slight whey separation
during storage. Otherwise there was little difference in mouth
feel of the coagulum.
Flavour
Flavour of yoghurt should be clean without any extraneous
and off flavour (Tamime and Robinson, 1999). The initial flavour

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Indian J. Dairy Sci. 68(6), 2015

Figure 2: Yeast and mold count of lemongrass distillate incorporated yoghurt during storage
score of yoghurt varied from 7.43 - 7.92 including control
sample depending on the addition of distillate (Table-9). It
was observed that during storage the flavour score decreased
irrespective of control or experimental sample (P<0.05). The
initial flavour perception was that of a pleasant and clean
flavour. This continued even during the storage period.
However, flavour compounds may keep changing because of
continued fermentation even at 5C which might have caused
deviation from the normal flavour of yoghurt. However, the
flavour scores revealed that none of the samples had
developed any off flavors.
Overall acceptability
The OA scores of yoghurt including control sample ranged
from 7.47 - 7.90 on zero day which then slowly decreased to
6.92 - 7.37 at the end of 11 days storage (P<0.05) (Table-10).
These scores reflected the trend of flavour scores and further
revealed that the scores of all yoghurt samples remained in
acceptable limits and none of the samples was rejected. The
4% distillate sample was slightly less acceptable than other
samples (score 6.92) possibly because of excessive lemongrass
or leafy flavour. After 11 days, the yoghurt showed syneresis,
visible whey separation and yeasty smell, hence sensory
evaluation was discontinued.
Changes in yeast and mold count of yoghurt during storage
In a fermented dairy product, the spoilage organisms are
frequently yeast and molds (YM) because they can withstand
the low pH levels and have the capability to multiply at that
pH (Frazier,1988). Hence, YM count is a good indicator for

microbial changes during storage. Initially in the fresh product,

there was no detectable count of YM. But thereafter YM
growth was detected and on 3rd day the YM values ranged
from 10 to 30 cfu per g the higher values observed in control
sample (Fig. 2). There was a continued growth of YM in
yoghurt as indicated by YM counts. At the end of 11 days
of storage, the counts were 130, 110, 120, 115 and 110 cfu per
g of control, 1, 2, 3 and 4% distillate containing yoghurt
samples respectively. These figures might indicate a slightly
less count in distillate containing yoghurt than control. This
might possibly point to any antimicrobial property of
lemongrass distillate. This may be corroborated by the result
of Helal et al. (2006) regarding the antimicrobial property of
lemongrass or related plant variety. Tropical spices such as
lemongrass variety may prove useful in preservation of
yoghurt by hurdle technology as reported by Ejechi, et al.
(1998).

Conclusions
It is concluded from the study that a new variety of yoghurt,
viz. lemongrass flavoured yoghurt can be prepared by using
steam distillate of fresh lemongrass leaves. This technology
may be considered for commercial adoption.

Acknowledgements
Authors express sincere thanks to Mr. P. Aravindakshan,
Technical Officer, and Dairy Technology Section for his help
in all aspects of the project, from conceptualization to
conducting of experimental trials. The first author gratefully
acknowledges the financial assistance received from NDRI,
Karnal (Deemed University), India in the form of Junior
532

Indian J. Dairy Sci. 68(6), 2015

Research Fellowship for carrying out the present study.

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