Evaluation of jamu kunyit asam (Curcuma domestica Val. - Tamarindus indica L.) as probiotic carrier of Lactobacillus plantarum BP102

Jamu kunyit asam is a herbal health product with the main ingredients of turmeric (Curcuma domestica) and tamarind (Tamarindus indica). The addition of probiotics in jamu kunyit asam will contribute to better-quality fermented drink. The purposes of the present work were (1) to determine the viability and probiotic potential of Lactobacillus plantarum BP102 in jamu kunyit asam, (2) to determine the effect of the addition of L. plantarum BP102 on the antioxidant activity of jamu kunyit asam, and (3) to determine the organoleptic changes of fermented jamu kunyit asam. The probiotic strain L. plantarum BP102 was able to grow in jamu kunyit asam with a density of 107 - 108 CFU/mL, followed by a decrease in pH value after 5-d storage. The L. plantarum BP102 in jamu kunyit asam also showed its character as a probiotic, namely, survival rates at low pH and in the presence of bile salts of 63 - 70 and 73 - 83%. The antioxidant activity of fermented jamu kunyit asam did not show an increase. The addition of L. plantarum BP102 was able to improve the organoleptic quality of fermented jamu kunyit asam, especially in terms of flavour and colour. Therefore, jamu kunyit asam can act as a probiotic carrier of L. plantarum BP102 for the development of fermentation-based functional food products.