Development of non-dairy probiotic drink utilizing sprouted cereals, legume and soymilk

•4 Non dairy probiotic drinks from sprouted cereals and legume were developed.•Probiotic count (Lactobacillus acidophilus- NCDC14) increased with increasing grain flour.•Probiotic drinks with soymilk had higher probiotic count.•Probiotic count was more than 107 cfu/mL in probiotic drinks up to 90 days.

Non-dairy probiotic drink (PD) was developed utilizing sprouted wheat, barley, pearl millet and green gram separately with oat, stabilizer and sugar using Lactobacillus acidophilus- NCDC14; with soymilk and distilled water as liquid portion. Acidity (in terms of lactic acid) and pH in different PD samples ranged from 0.45 to 1.02% and 4.11 to 4.49 with higher in green gram based PD. Probiotic count ranged from 9.10 to 11.06, 10.36 to 11.17, 10.36 to 11.51 and 10.36 to 11.32 log cfu/mL in wheat, barley, pearl millet and green gram based PD samples, respectively, which increased with increasing level of grain flour. Sensory acceptability of all four PD with soymilk was higher up to 6 g of wheat, barley and green gram, and 4 g pearl millet flour per 100 mL liquid portion. In view of sensory acceptability score >7 and good probiotic count; wheat, barley and green gram at 6 g while pearl millet at 4 g level with 50:50 mL of soymilk and distilled water, may be considered for development of non dairy PD. Total solids and in vitro protein digestibility in standardized wheat, barley, pearl millet and green gram based PD samples varied between 19.88 to 22.03% and 68.91-71.98%, respectively.