Potential antioxidant activities and bioactive compounds in probiotic tiger nut date palm yogurt fermented with lactic acid bacteria

The need for sustainable production of beverages has increased the interest in non-diary milk to produce yogurt. The functional profile of probiotic yogurt made from tiger-nut-date-palm milk (TNDPM) fermented with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LB113 and Pediococcus pentosaceus L35 was investigated. Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) isolated from the natural fermentation of TNDPM were screened for their technological, probiotic, and safety potentials. Antioxidants and organoleptic attributes of the probiotic yogurt were investigated. The LAB from the fermentation process exhibited adequate production of metabolites, tolerance to simulated gastrointestinal conditions, and was considered safe. The yogurt fermented with a combination of L. plantarum LB113 and P. pentosaceus L35 had the highest DPPH scavenging activity (83.04%), ferric-reducing antioxidant function (0.66 mM FeSO₄), total phenolic content (56.08 mg/100 mL GAE) and total flavonoid content (4.10 mg/mL rutin). The sensory evaluation of the yogurt revealed that the overall sensory properties were influenced by the concentration of date palm milk (DPM) and the specific LAB strains used for fermentation. The beverage with a 20% concentration of DPM fermented with L. plantarum LB113 had the highest sensory attributes. The functional profile of this beverage makes it a promising option for individuals seeking a plant-based probiotic yogurt with potential health benefits.