Potential Probiotic Tiger Nut-Cashew Nut-Milk Production by Fermentation with Two Lactic Bacteria Isolated from Ivorian Staple Foods

Abstract

Probiotification of plant milk can improve its sensory and health-promoting properties. As traditional fermented foods where lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are present have been associated with beneficial effects on human health, the beneficial effects of two LAB recently isolated from two current Ivorian staple foods (a pepper and a traditional beer) were screened. These two strains LAC 1 (Lactobacillus plantarum) and LAC 2 (Pediococcus acidilactici) which presented probiotic, exopolysaccharides, inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities, were used to ferment a composite plant milk of tiger-nut and cashew (80/20) compared to two starters of a commercial yogourt. The obtained plant milks SCT 2 and SCT 3 with a significant increase in their antioxidant and/or anti-inflammatory activities and lactic bacteria contents were more preferred by consumers than SCT 1 obtained by fermentation of the commercial yogourt starters. The mixing of LAC 1 and LAC 2 was not beneficial. SCT 2 (with an anti-inflammatory activity of 31.38% and an anti-oxidant activity of 17.30%) and SCT 3 (with an anti-oxidant activity of 22.28) could be further tested in animal models to verify their nutrition-health claims.