Evaluation of nutritional attributes of whey-cereal based probiotic beverage

Abstract

Probiotic composite beverage was prepared from underutilized resources, whey-skim milk (60:40, v/v), germinated pearl millet flour (4.5%, w/v), liquid barley malt extract (3.0%, w/v) and fermented with Lactobacillus acidophilus NCDC 13. In vivo feeding trials on mice revealed better weight gain and blood haemoglobin level in the probiotic beverage-fed group (P) than in the control group (casein diet) and unfermented beverage-fed group (UF) which indicates that the nutritional quality in terms of protein efficiency ratio and apparent protein digestibility was better for probiotic group than UF and control group. The relative weights of organs of mice fed on the P were not significantly different from the organs of the mice fed on the basal diet, indicating no abnormality induced due to feeding of probiotic beverage. Probiotic beverage can be a cost-effective source of nutrition for wide segments of population in the society specially for underprivileged one.