Lactic fermentation enhances in vitro carbohydrate-digesting enzyme inhibition in cherimoya (Annona cherimola) juice with minor phenolic changes and preserved sensory acceptance

Cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill.) is a highly perishable tropical fruit rich in bioactive polyphenols, whose valorization through fermentation could enable the development of a candidate functional beverage. This study evaluated the impact of lactic fermentation on phenolic profile distribution, antioxidant capacity, in vitro inhibition of carbohydrate-digesting enzymes, and sensory acceptance of cherimoya juice. Pasteurized cherimoya juice (30%, w/v) was fermented for 48 h at 30 °C with three fruit-origin LAB strains: Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CRL2051, Lpb. plantarum CRL2030, and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus CRL2049. All strains grew efficiently in the juice matrix, reaching 8.2–8.9 log CFU/mL, while pH decreased from 4.5 to 3.5–3.7 after fermentation. Total phenolic content (1243–1382 mg GAE/L) and radical scavenging activity showed no major differences between fermented and unfermented juices (DPPH: ∼55–58%; ABTS: ∼71–75%). However, fermentation significantly enhanced the in vitro inhibitory activity of the juices against carbohydrate-digesting enzymes, with lower IC 50 values, with a stronger effect observed for α-glucosidase than for α-amylase. LC-ESI-QToF analysis tentatively identified 37 phenolic compounds and semi-quantitatively estimated total phenolics at 1070–1203 mg/L, dominated by flavan-3-ols (catechins and procyanidins), representing >96–99% of total quantified phenols. Hedonic sensory evaluation (n=105) showed no significant differences between unfermented juice and FChJ-CRL2051 across attributes (scores 5.1–6.6), indicating comparable consumer acceptance. Overall, lactic fermentation, particularly with CRL2051, may represent a feasible strategy for developing a fermented cherimoya-based beverage, showing enhanced in vitro carbohydrate-digesting enzyme inhibitory activity while largely preserving phenolic composition and sensory quality under the evaluated conditions.