The present study concerns the isolation and characterization of potential probiotic bacteria isolated from indigenously fermented cereal-based products commonly produced by tribal people of the Aravali hills region of India and the documentation of their unexplored probiotic attributes. The isolated strains were evaluated for probiotic attributes, such as bile salt and acid tolerance, lysozyme and phenol tolerance, antagonistic and antifungal activity, cell autoaggregation, cell-surface hydrophobicity, simulated gastric and pancreatic digestion, antioxidative potential, bile salt hydrolase activity, and H₂O₂ production. The safety of isolates was assessed by antibiotic sensitivity, hemolytic activity, DNase activity, and biogenic amine production assays, while technological properties, such as fermenting ability, amylolytic activity, and EPS production, were also evaluated. A total of 70 LAB isolates were screened initially, and 6 strains showed good potential as probiotic candidates in in vitro assessments. The efficient strains were identified using phenotyping and biochemical characterization, which results were further confirmed and recognized at the strain level using phylogenetic analysis and 16S rDNA sequencing. The current study has shown that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KMUDR7 isolated from “Makka ki Raab” has excellent probiotic attributes and could be a potential probiotic for product preparation. However, other strains, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus KMUDR1 and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus KMUDR9, showed good properties, while KMUDR14, -17, and -20 also have comparable probiotic attributes.

Probiotics are live beneficial bacteria that improve health when given to a host in sufficient quantities. This research explored the possible probiotic attributes of amylase‐producing lactic acid bacteria (ALAB) from sheep milk. Five strains out of 76 isolates were found to be amylase‐producing LAB that were characterized by morphological, phenotyping, and biochemical tests, and identified by 16S rRNA sequencing and phylogenetic evaluation. These strains were characterized for probiotic attributes such as tolerance to bile salt and acid, resistance to lysozyme and phenol, antioxidative activity, simulated gastric and pancreatic digestion, and cell surface properties (auto‐aggregation, cell surface hydrophobicity, and adhesion to Caco‐2 cells). Additionally, tests for antimicrobial activity (antifungal and antibacterial) and safety assessment (antibiotic susceptibility, hemolytic, and DNase activities) were also conducted. Among the ALAB strains, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum P2 exhibited excellent probiotic traits and was selected for the preparation of a milk‐cereal‐based beverage (MCBB). The prepared beverage showed good nutritional, sensory, and microbial quality and exhibited 9‐day shelf life under refrigerated conditions. However, survivability of probiotics in the product was found at 6.68 ± 1.24 log₁₀ CFU/mL up to 15 days which was more than the recommended limit of 1 million CFU/mL. The study confirms the strain's suitability as a potential probiotic starter culture.

Curcumin encapsulation comparing plant vs whey proteins found whey superior, making color. Particle size and zeta potential were comparable. FT-IR confirmed a curcumin–protein complex. Stable curcumin formed, suitable for functional products.

In this study, we developed a probiotic strained yogurt-like dessert using roasted pearl millet flour and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis extract.

In the last few decades, the demand for fruits and vegetables and mixed beverages such as juices and smoothies increased rapidly, which made it one of the highest-growing segments of the food industry. The horse gram is an underutilized crop having desired nutrient and bioactive compounds essential for growth and normal body functioning. In view of the above facts, the present study aimed to develop a milk-based smoothie by incorporating horse gram extract in addition to commonly used ingredients such as sugar, dahi, stabilizer, fruits, and vegetables. In this study, three levels of horse gram extract (HGE- 5, 10, and 15%) were blended with cow milk, and other ingredients (sugar, dahi, pectin, banana, carrot juice extract) were kept constant. The 0% level of HGE was taken as a control to compare the nutritional and functional characteristics of the optimized product. The 10% HGE incorporated product was found best based on sensory and physico-chemical properties. The optimized product was found with 3.03±0.08% fat, 3.38±0.07% protein, 16.17±0.10% carbohydrate, 0.81±0.05% ash, 843.33±3.08 cp viscosity, 3.48±0.05 g/10 g whey syneresis, 12.12±0.67 g/20 g sedimentation, and 31.11 ± 4.17% 2,2-dipenylpicrylhydrazyl inhibition activity. The optimized smoothie had nine days shelf life after packing in polypropylene cups when stored under refrigerated conditions.