The Biochemical, Microbiological, Antioxidant and Sensory Characterization of Fermented Skimmed Milk Drinks Supplemented with Probiotics Lacticaseibacillus casei and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus

Abstract

A variety of foods fermented with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) serve as dietary staples in many countries. The incorporation of health-promoting probiotics into fermented milk products can have profound effects on human health. Considering the health benefits of Yakult, the current study was undertaken to develop an enriched Yakult-like fermented skimmed milk drink by the addition of two probiotic strains, namely Lacticaseibacillus casei (Lc) and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (Lr). The prepared drinks were compared in terms of various parameters, including their physicochemical properties, proximate chemical composition, mineral estimation, microbial viable count, antioxidant activity, and sensory evaluation. Each strain was employed at five different concentrations, including 1% (T1), 1.5% (T2), 2% (T3), 2.5% (T4), and 3% (T5). The prepared Yakult samples were stored at 4 °C and analyzed on days 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 to evaluate biochemical changes. The findings revealed that the concentration of the starter culture had a significant (p ≤ 0.05) impact on the pH value and moisture and protein contents, but had no marked impact on the fat or ash content of the developed product. With the Lc strain, Yakult’s moisture content ranged from 84.25 ± 0.09 to 85.65 ± 0.13%, whereas with the Lr strain, it was from 84.24 ± 0.08 to 88.75 ± 0.13%. Protein levels reached their highest values with T5 (3% concentration). The acidity of all treatments increased significantly due to fermentation and, subsequently, pH showed a downward trend (p ≤ 0.05). The total soluble solids (TSS) content decreased during storage with Lc as compared to Lr, but the presence of carbohydrates had no appreciable impact. The drink with Lc exhibited a more uniform texture and smaller pore size than Yakult with Lr. Except for the iron values, which showed an increasing trend, the contents of other minerals decreased in increasing order of the added probiotic concentration used: 1% (T1), 1.5% (T2), 2% (T3), 2.5% (T4), and 3% (T5). The highest lactobacilli viable count of 8.69 ± 0.43 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL was observed with the T1 Lr-containing drink at the end of the storage period. Regarding the storage stability of the drink, the highest value for DPPH (88.75 ± 0.13%) was found with the T1 Lc drink on day 15, while the highest values for FRAP (4.86 ± 2.80 mmol Fe2+/L), TPC (5.97 ± 0.29 mg GAE/mL), and TFC (3.59 ± 0.17 mg GAE/mL) were found with the T5 Lr drink on day 28 of storage. However, the maximum value for ABTS (3.59 ± 0.17%) was noted with the T5 Lr drink on the first day of storage. The results of this study prove that Lc and Lr can be used in dairy-based fermented products and stored at refrigerated temperatures.

Viability of Lactobacillus acidophilus in effervescent granules prepared via wet granulation method: in vitro study

“…Probiotic products available in the market today use bacteria from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species. The development of drinks and supplements containing probiotics is in accordance with research by Shabbir (2023), who carried out the development of Fermented Skim Milk drinks equipped with Probiotics with a combination of Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, concluding that Probiotics can be used in milk fermentation to make fermented milk drinks and beverages. Yakult can be used to market innovative beverages to specific consumer groups, manufacturers and industries, as well as large-scale retail distribution (7).…”

“…The development of drinks and supplements containing probiotics is in accordance with research by Shabbir (2023), who carried out the development of Fermented Skim Milk drinks equipped with Probiotics with a combination of Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, concluding that Probiotics can be used in milk fermentation to make fermented milk drinks and beverages. Yakult can be used to market innovative beverages to specific consumer groups, manufacturers and industries, as well as large-scale retail distribution (7). Researcher Badgeley (2021) said that in recent years, researchers have investigated various health benefits associated with probiotic supplements, which primarily contain live microorganisms from Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species.…”

Genome Analysis for Cholesterol-Lowing Action and Bacteriocin Production of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum WLPL21 and ZDY04 from Traditional Chinese Fermented Foods

“…Lastly, the tolerance of acid and bile salts and the antioxidant activity are important standards for use to evaluate the probiotic characteristics of LABs [ 46 ]. In our results, L. plantarum WLPL21 and ZDY04 presented significantly stronger antioxidant activity against 1% H 2 O 2 than L. plantarum ATCC8014, and for tolerance of acid and bile salts, both strains also showed better properties.…”