Probiotic beverages from milk substitutes: integrative review

Probiotic beverages from milk substitutes: integrative review on the impact of probiotic microorganisms viability

Abstract

Probiotics are described as living microorganisms and have been widely studied for their application in food, in addition to having health benefits when administered in adequate amounts. The aim of this review was to look at possible milk substitutes for probiotic beverages and the viability of probiotic bacteria in these beverages. Papers were searched in Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science and Scopus databases. Theses, dissertations, integrative, narrative and systematic reviews, notes, editorials, reviews, monographs, manuals and duplicate articles were excluded from the final review. Thus, 29 articles in English were selected for full reading, of which 21 answered the guiding question. Most of the articles (66%) worked with soy-based probiotics. However, others used soy associated with other substrates, such as fruits and cereals. With regard to the growth of probiotic microorganisms, the average viability concentration was between 6 and 7 Log CFU/mL. The genus Lactobacillus was the most commonly used, with the species L. bulgaricus being the most mentioned in the studies. Products that used soy associated with fruits or other substrates had greater sensory acceptance in the analyses, showing that the consumption of probiotic drinks based on soy and other substrates is a healthy and functional alternative for consumers who have personal preferences or health needs to the replacement of milk in the diet.