Changes in chemical composition and sensory qualities of peanut milk fermented with lactic acid bacteria

The effects of fermentation of aqueous extracts of peanuts (peanut milk) with Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus salivarius ssp. thermophilus, separately and in combination, on selected chemical and sensory qualities were investigated. Changes in pH, titratable acidity and viable cell populations indicated that there was a synergistic interaction between L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus and S. salivarius ssp. thermophilus during fermentation. Analysis of headspace volatiles revealed that hexanal, which is one of the compounds responsible for undesirable green/beany flavor in peanut milk, completely disappeared as a result of fermentation. S. salivarius ssp. thermophilus was more effective than L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus in reducing the hexanal content. The acetaldehyde content of peanut milk increased during fermentation. Changes in concentrations of these volatile compounds were correlated with sensory evaluation scores which showed that a significant (P less than or equal to 0.05) decrease in green/beany flavor and a significant increase in creamy flavor occurred as a result of fermentation.