Development and evaluation of functional whey Mango beverage enriched with novel probiotic bacteria isolated from...

The objective of this study was to enhance the value of dairy byproducts including cheese whey through developing fermented whey beverages using novel isolated lactic acid bacterial strains from human and cow milk. Nine formulations of a fermented whey mango beverage were carried out and compared to non fermented whey supplemented with mango juice on day one or after 10 days of cold storage. Chemical and physicochemical properties, viscosity, antioxidant activity, organic acids profile, and microbiological parameters were evaluated. No significant differences (p ≥ 0.05) were observed in the chemical composition; whereas significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) were observed in pH. Concentration of total phenolic content was ranged from 51 to 125.02 mg GAE/g, while antioxidant activity was significantly increased in fermented whey beverages by C₃ strain (86.7%) compared to control sample (60.52%). Organic acid metabolites especially lactic and acetic acids were present in large amounts in all the fermented whey samples. Furthermore, the fermented whey mango beverages provided a favorable environment for the growth of probiotic bacteria; the bacterial count during the storage period exceeded 7 logs CFU/ml, which was significantly higher than the minimum therapeutic dose, and did not fall below 7 until the end of the period. Sensorially, the addition of probiotic strains C₄, C₈, H₇ and H₉ significantly (p ≤ 0.05) improved the final product's structural qualities, color and sensory acceptance. Overall, the mango beverage has a high potential for being a profitable novel dairy product with several nutritional and bioactive benefits.