Quinoa– based gluten– free fermented beverage Production using probiotic bacteria

Food products made from cereals and pseudo cereals have been known for their remarkable potential in food and beverage industry. Cereal and cereal-based beverages like those obtained from oat, rice, and soy have been gaining popularity for their specific health benefits. Recently, many researchers have been keen towards exploring underutilized grains and pseudocereals for their health potential and their future in the food and beverage industry.
Quiuoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a pseudocereal which is traditionally cultivated in the Andean region since thousands of years. Commonly, quinoa grain and its flour are used for human consumption and animal feeding. The edible seeds of quinoa are small, round or flat. Seed colors can range from white to grey and black, or can be yellow and red. Quinoa has a very elevated genetic variability which makes possible to select, adapt and breed cultivars for a wide range of environmental conditions. Quinoa seed contains a considerable amount of fiber and mineralssuch as calcium and iron. It is also rich in antioxidants such as polyphenols. Moreover, quinoa is considered gluten-free and, therefore, suitable for celiac patients as well as people who have wheat allergy. The quinoa seed proteins are rich in amino acids including lysine, threonine and methionine that are deficient in cereals. The seed is used to make different food products including breads, biscuits, cookies, crepes, muffins, pancakes, and tortillas. The year 2013 was declared as “International Year of the Quinoa” by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in recognition of the indigenous peoples of the Andes, recognizing the high value of this pseudocereal crop. So, in the present study, we aimed to prepare quinoa-based gluten-free beverage contain honey and floral water of mint, and also evaluate the quality and sensory charactreistics after fermentation process (with selected probiotic bacteria) during 14 days storage at 4 °C. Whole quinoa seed was purchased from Nathure Earthly Choice Co. The probiotic microorganisms used in the current study were Lactobacillus plantaru (PTCC 1058) and Lactobacillus acidophilus (PTTC 1643) which was grown on MRS broth for 18 h at 37 °C with shaking (180 rpm) to reach log phase. The quinoa-based gluten-free functional fermented beverage was produced using Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus acidophilus in equal ratio, 50:50 with addition of 5% (w/v) honey as natural sweetener and mint floral water at four levels of 0, 1, 2 and 3% (v/v). Antibacterial properties evaluation of mint floral water was done by well diffusion method, before addition to beverages. The sensory characteristics (taste, color, aroma, after taste and overall acceptability), total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity (DPPH and H2O2 scavenging assay), pH, acidity, total solid contents, brix, bacterial viability, and alcohol content were evaluated during 14 days storage time at 4 ◦C. The best sample was selected based on sensory evaluation, TPC and antioxidant activity (scavenging activity aganist DPPH and OH radicals). The results showed that fermentation process increased TPC, antioxidant activity, and acidity while reduced pH, total solid content and brix. Therefore, the selected bacteria, amounts of honey (5% w/v) and floral water of mint (1, 2 and 3% v/v) used in production of the beverages can affect the quality and sensory properties of quinoa-based beverages. The bacterial population during 14 days storage at 4 ◦C was in the range of proposed for functional food products (at least 106– 108 CFU/ml). According to the
results obtained, the sample containing 5% honey with 3% of mint floral water was selected as the best sample based on higher sensory characteristics among other samples. The quinoa-based gluten freen fermented beverage containing 5% honey and 3% of mint floral water can be considered as a functional beverage. Furthermore, it may be concluded that the prepared the beverage due to its potential capability to support the survival of probiotic bacteria may potentially be developed as an appropriate non-dairy carrier for probiotics. But, our product must be investigated further for in-depth nutritional characteristics. Attempts may be made to enhance nutritional value and shelf life of the prepared functional beverage. Lactic acid bacteria may synthesize several bioactive compounds such as
vitamins, exopolysaccharides, enzymes, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cholesterol lowering substances which may contribute towards enhanced functional attributes of foods.