Probiotic foxtail millet beverage formulation and evaluation of nutritional, physicochemical, and sensory parameters

Abstract Currently plant sources, such as cereals, legumes, and millets, are accepted as dairy milk alternatives with the presence of vitamins, dietary fibre, minerals, and antioxidants. The study aims to develop a foxtail millet beverage and probiotic beverage. The foxtail millet beverage with a (1:6) millet-to-water ratio was selected based on sensory evaluation and was used for the development of a probiotic beverage using Lactobacillus culture and fermented for 8, 16, and 24 hr, in which 8 hr of incubation received the best sensory acceptability. The results indicate a significant decrease in pH 4.47 ± 0.01 and a significant increase of total soluble solids 11.83 ± 0.09 °brix, viscosity 33.33 ± 1.17 cP, and sedimentation index 0.30 ± 0.00 g/20 ml in the probiotic beverage. A decrease of total flavonoids and antioxidant activity and an increase of total phenols were observed in probiotic beverages, and a significant (p < .05) increase in the zinc, copper, and calcium content was observed. Consumer evaluation of foxtail millet beverage revealed the acceptability index of 89.09 ± 7.62%, which is an indication that millets can be effectively used for the formulation of probiotic plant-based beverages.