The increasing demand for functional foods has encouraged the development of nutritionally enhanced dairy products with added health benefits. Probiotic yogurt is a well-established functional food that promotes gut health and improves di-gestive function. Spirulina, a nutrient-dense blue-green microalga, is recognized for its high protein content, essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant properties. The present study aimed to develop and evaluate a probiotic yogurt enriched with spirulina to enhance its nutritional and functional value. Probiotic yogurt was prepared using conventional yogurt starter cultures (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) along with probiotic strains. Spirulina powder was incorporated at different concentrations to study its effect on physicochemical, microbio-logical, and sensory properties of the product. Parameters such as pH, titratable acidity, probiotic viability, and sensory acceptability were assessed during refrigerated storage. Results indicated that spirulina enrichment significantly improved the nutritional profile of the yogurt, particularly in terms of protein and antioxidant content. Probiotic viability remained within the recommended therapeutic range throughout the storage period, indicating that spirulina did not adversely affect microbial survival. Although higher spirulina concentrations caused noticeable changes in color and flavor, yogurt con-taining an optimized concentration exhibited good overall sensory acceptability. The study concludes that spiruli-na-enriched probiotic yogurt can be successfully developed as a functional dairy product with enhanced nutritional ben-efits. This product holds potential for application in health-oriented food markets and may contribute to improved di-gestive health and nutritional supplementation.

Probiotic Yogurt, Spirulina, Functional Food, Nutritional Enrichment, Probiotics