Health beneficial properties of a novel plant-based probiotic drink produced by fermentation of brown rice milk with GABA-producing Lactobacillus pentosus isolated from Thai pickled weed

Abstract

• GABA-producing probiotic bacterium that could ferment brown rice milk was isolated. • The strain was used to produce a rice-based drink with high GABA content. • The drink exhibited in vitro antioxidant, anti-obesity and anti-diabetic potential. • The drink flavored with lychee juice had good sensory and nutritional quality. This study aimed to develop a GABA drink by probiotic fermentation of brown rice milk (BRM). The drink was prepared from GABA-rich brown rice and fermented by a GABA-producing probiotic Lactobacillus pentosus 9D3 isolated from Thai pickled weed. The strain considerably enhanced the GABA content in BRM fortified with yeast extract, isolated soy protein and pyridoxine hydrochloride, rendering a drink with high GABA content (14.3 mg/100 mL) and a high number of probiotic cells (8.6 log CFU/mL). The drink contained phenolic compounds and exhibited antioxidant activities. The drink could inhibit key enzymes related to obesity and diabetes. The drink flavored with lychee juice showed good sensory acceptance, provided around 100 kcal/100 mL, and it could be refrigerated for up to 30 days. In conclusion, the developed probiotic GABA drink has great potential to be commercialized as a plant-based functional drink with health benefits that may prevent some chronic diseases.