The study aimed to develop a non-dairy-based probiotic-supplemented product using an underutilized crop in the Philippines such as the yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa Deg.). The physico-chemical properties (moisture content, water activity, pH, and total soluble solids), probiotics stability at different storage temperatures (4°C, 25°C, and 37°C), and the sensory characteristics of Lactobacillus plantarum S20-supplemented passion fruit juice powder was evaluated. Passion fruit juice powder and L. plantarum S20 were first prepared using low-temperature spray drying utilizing maltodextrin as a carrier, with yield as 42.97% and 21.17%, respectively. Spray drying of probiotics culture also resulted in 42.68% log survivability. The formulated juice powder had a final moisture content of 1.729±0.38% and water activity of 0.398±0.0051, and with recommended dilution with water, had a final pH and total soluble solids of 3.40±0.10 and 12.00±0.00° Brix, respectively. Results also showed that storage of the formulated juice powder at 4°C yielded the highest probiotic stability, maintaining a viable log count of 4.27 per g, while storage at 37°C showed no microbial growth. Sensory evaluation of probioticsupplemented passion fruit juice against a non-probiotic-supplemented one revealed significant difference in terms of color, sweetness, and sourness, while no significant difference was observed in terms of aroma, mouthfeel, and general acceptability.

Development of an active starter culture is essential in the production of safe and highquality fermented foods. Freeze-drying is an effective microbial cell immobilization technology intended to produce active and stable starter cultures for long-term storage. To determine the influence of various drying medium formulations with mung bean powder and disaccharides on the viability of L. plantarum S20 during freeze-drying and subsequent storage at 6±2°C and 30±1°C, three treatments of drying medium consisting of mung bean powder without disaccharides (MBP), MBP with 5% (w/v) trehalose (MBP+T), and MBP with 5% (w/v) sucrose (MBP+T) were evaluated. Results showed that L. plantarum S20 viability after freeze-drying ranged from 9.56 to 10.03 log (CFU/g) with viability loss ranging from 0.20 to 0.51 log (CFU/g), with MBP being the least effective (p<0.05) in minimizing viability loss. Supplementing MBP with either 5% sucrose or 5% trehalose improved (p<0.05) survival of freeze-dried L. plantarum S20; and both disaccharides exhibit similar (p>0.05) cryoprotective effects on L. plantarum S20 during freeze-drying and subsequent storage. Storage at 6±2°C for 180 days resulted in significant decreases of 2.15, 2.17, and 3.27 log (CFU/g) in L. plantarum S20 population in MBP+T, MBP+S, and MBP, respectively. A more drastic decline [>6.0 Log (CFU/g)] in L. plantarum S20 population was observed in freeze-dried culture stored at 30±1°C for 60 days. Fermentation characteristics of freeze-dried L. plantarum S20 in mung bean slurry were also determined. Freeze-dried L. plantarum S20 in MBP with 5% (w/v) sucrose was able to acidify mung bean slurry from pH 6.8 to pH 3.8 after 8 hrs with maximum LAB population of 9.2 log (CFU/mL). Acidification of mung bean slurry by fresh culture (non-freeze-dried) on the other hand was relatively slower where pH dropped from 6.8 to pH 3.72 after 24 hrs. Current work suggested that lyophilized L. plantarum S20 could be used as a starter culture for mung bean-based fermentations but further research on this area is needed.