Herbal mate (Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil.) leaves are traditionally used for\r\ntheir stimulant, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and diuretic activity, presenting as principal\r\ncomponents polyphenolic compounds. The aim of this work was to develop an innovative,\r\nnon-dairy, functional, probiotic, fermented beverage using herbal mate extract as a natural\r\ningredient which would also be hypocholesterolemic and hepatoprotective. Among\r\ndifferent strains used, Lactobacillus acidophilus was selected as the best for fermentation.\r\nThe addition of honey positively affected the development of L. acidophilus and the\r\nformulated beverage maintained microbial stability during shelf life. Key ingredients in the\r\nextract included xanthines, polyphenols and other antioxidants with potential health\r\nbenefits for the consumer. Caffeine levels and antioxidant activity were also studied.\r\nAcceptable levels of caffeine and large antioxidant capacity were observed for the\r\nformulation when compared to other antioxidant beverages. An advantage of this product\r\nis the compliance to organic claims, while providing caffeine, other phyto-stimulants and\r\nantioxidant compounds without the addition of synthetic components or preservatives in\r\nthe formulation. Sensorial analysis demonstrated that the beverage had good consumer\r\nacceptance in comparison to two other similar commercial beverages. Therefore, this\r\nbeverage could be used as a new, non-dairy vehicle for probiotic consumption, especially by vegetarians and lactose intolerant consumers. It is expected that such a product will\r\nhave good market potential in an era of functional foods.
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