Effects of tropical fruit pulps and partially hydrolysed galactomannan from Caesalpinia pulcherrima seeds on the dietary fibre content, probiotic viability, texture and sensory features of goat dairy beverages

- Whey-based goat beverages were processed with probiotic cultures and fruit pulps.
- A new partially hydrolysed galactomannan (PHGM) was tested in the products.
- PHGM enhanced the dietary fibre content of dairy goat beverages with fruit pulps.
- PHGM improved instrumental texture and sensory features of the probiotic products.

The use of cheese whey and probiotic cultures in the production of dairy beverages has been highly attractive; nonetheless, whey-based goat beverages tend to be poor and watery when compared to fermented milks. The addition of fruits and fibre ingredients might improve texture and mouthfeel of this kind of product. Fermented whey-based goat beverages prepared using Streptococcus thermophilus TA-40 as starter culture, with added guava or soursop pulps, and with or without addition of partially hydrolysed galactomannan from Caesalpinia pulcherrima seeds (PHGM), showed to be good vehicles for Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus Lr-32, maintaining their viability above 7 log CFU/ml during 21 days. PHGM increased the dietary fibre content and enhanced the instrumental texture and sensory features of both guava and soursop dairy beverages, especially texture, appearance, and overall acceptability. The PHGM might be recommended to improve nutritional and sensory quality of fermented probiotic beverages produced with goat milk and cheese whey.