Soymilk is used as a food supplement and it contains ingredients like isoflavonoids, vitamins, proteins and minerals which provide health benefits. The major obstacle in the studies with soymilk is its instability due to the sensitivity of its ingredients to conditions like light, moisture and temperature. The present work was an attempt to enhance the stability of soymilk by using different drying processes and improving its antioxidant potential by the means of fermentation and combination with a cereal (finger millet). Four types of soymilk powder were taken i.e. non fermented freeze dried soymilk powder (NFFD-1), non fermented spray dried soymilk powder (NFSD-1), fermented soymilk powder by L. plantarum NCIM 2083 (FFD-1) and 1:1 combination ratio of soymilk and finger millet powder (NFFD-2). NFFD-1 and NFSD-1, FFD-1 and NFFD-2 were studied for total phenolic contests, flavonoid content, confirmation of presence of isoflavnoids (diadezein, genistein) by HPLC. In vitro antioxidant models like DPPH, ABTS and nitric oxide scavenging activities followed by iron chelation and lipid peroxidation assays were used to study the antioxidant activity using Freeze dried finger millet (NFFD-2) and combination (1:1) of soymilk and finger millet (NFFD-3). In all the models studied, FFD-1 and NFFD-3 showed better activities. Hence, finger millet used as a supplement with soymilk showed better antioxidant activity. Genistein concentration was found to be higher in FFD-1 than NFFD-1 and NFSD-1.
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