Modulation of the antioxidant activity of a functional oat beverage by enrichment with chokeberry juice

Abstract

Modern functional food companies are focused on the development of products offering multiple health benefits through combining various functional ingredients.Following this trend, the aim of the present study was to enrich a probiotic oat beverage with antioxidants by the addition of chokeberry juice. It was necessary to assess how different quantities of chokeberry juice affected the antioxidant activity of the oat beverage and the fermentation potential of the starter monoculture of Lactobacillus plantarum Pro in the liquid oat matrix. Results show that the starter culture was well tolerant to chokeberry juice of up to 20% added before fermentation. Also, fermentation of the oat matrix with aronia juice was proved to increase the total antioxidant activity of the product compared to the addition of aronia juice after fermentation. The sensory evaluation of four beverage variants confirmed that supplementation with chokeberry juice improves the sensory acceptance of a fermented oat beverage. Novelty impact statement:The study explored the possibility to extend the functionality of a probiotic oat beverage by supplementation with chokeberry juice. The addition of up to 20% chokeberry juice did not inhibit the growth of the probiotic starter culture and its fermentation activity. The addition of chokeberry juice before fermentation resulted in higher antioxidant activity of the beverage compared to the addition after fermentation, and sensory evaluation of four beverage variants confirmed that supplementation with chokeberry juice improves the sensory acceptance of the fermented oat beverage.

Fresh Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) Fruits as Valuable Additive in Extruded Snack Pellets: Selected Nutritional and Physiochemical Properties

“…Chokeberry is a plant rich in antioxidants and other valuable pro-health compounds [ 40 , 41 ]. Among these are polyphenols.…”

A comprehensive review on oat milk: from oat nutrients and phytochemicals to its processing technologies, product features, and potential applications

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Innovative Functional Lactic Acid Bacteria Fermented Oat Beverages with the Addition of Fruit Extracts and Lyophilisates

“…Dabija et al [69] prepared yogurt with the addition of plant extracts, including hawthorn, and observed a significant increase in TPC, while Herrera et al [70] prepared yogurts with the addition of hawthorn and strawberry extracts in amounts of 8 and 12 mg/mL, noticing a tendency to increase the TPC value and antioxidant activity; however, the differences were not significant. In the work of Yaneva et al [71], chokeberry juice was added to oat fermented beverage, where the values for the antioxidant activity increased with the increase in the concentration of chokeberry juice. Lactic acid fermentation can lead to changes in the amount and profile of biologically active compounds such as phenolic acids, sterols, and vitamins, increasing or decreasing their levels in the product [72,73].…”