The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of purified extract from Rosa spinosissima fruits on the quality characteristics and antioxidant properties of yoghurt. The extract, added to yoghurt at a concentration of 0.1% and 0.2%, contained high quantities of phenolic compounds and exhibited high antioxidant activity due to the presence of anthocyanins flavan-3-ols, flavonols and ellagitannins. Yoghurt physicochemical properties, microbiology and antioxidant properties were evaluated after 1, 7 and 14 days of storage at a temperature of 4 °C. The data revealed a positive influence of rose preparation on yoghurt's microflora and on its other properties. The highest count of traditional yoghurt microflora was observed in samples with 0.2% of extract. Its addition had a positive effect on the yoghurts' color, giving them a characteristic pink color of an intensity dependent on additive concentration. It also significantly affected the yoghurts' antioxidant properties, which were stable during storage, as well as the content of the introduced phenolic compounds.
Keywords: Rosa spinosissima fruits; antioxidant properties; extract; phenolic compounds; yoghurt.