Water kefir is considered to be a functional food with probiotic characteristics. It can be improved with addition of organic brown sugar and fruits native to Brazil, such as jaboticaba. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of brown sugar type: organic and conventional and the presence or absence of jaboticaba pulp in water kefir fermentation, based on the carbohydrate, organic acid, mineral composition and color profile. The fermentation process was carried out in two stages: with kefir grains, for 24 hours, at 25 °C and after filtration, maintained for 24 h at 25 °C in hermetic bottles, followed by a period of 8h refrigeration, and monitored every 8 h. Scanning electron microscopy of the kefir grains was performed after 24 h. The major changes in physicochemical patterns occurred up to 40 h. The final beverages presented acidic characteristics as a result of the production of lactic, acetic and succinic acids. The total sugar content had a reduction of around 50%. The sucrose content was reduced and the glucose and fructose increased. The use of organic sugar influenced the composition of the minerals. The characteristics related to color showed a tendency to increase over the evaluated times. It was concluded that it is possible to produce beverages fermented by water kefir grains, using organic or conventional brown sugar and jabuticaba pulp, being an alternative for the substitution of soft drinks, since it has no preservatives or food colorings, presents lower content of sugars and can be handcrafted.

This study aimed to develop and evaluate fermented milk by Lactobacillus reuteri LR92 with addition of juçara pulp (FMJ) and reuterin production in situ. The fermentation process was analyzed for 24 hours and the storage of FMJ for 30 days at 4 °C. During the fermentation, there was consumption of 25% (w / v) of lactose and increase of 0.01 to 0.85% (w / v) of lactic acid. The FMJ presented 0.43 ± 0.01 mM of reuterin, inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus strains under in vitro test. For the carbohydrates, the percentages (g.100g-1) found were 7.31 ± 1.07; 9.19 ± 0.82; 1.60 ± 0.50 and 0.08 ± 0.00 for sucrose, lactose, galactose and fructose respectively. The survival of L. reuteri, present in FMJ, was 2.47 log CFU / mL after 6 hours of gastrointestinal simulation. In sensory analysis FMJ received a grade 7 for global acceptance indicating good acceptance of the product.

The development of functional beverages that combine bioactive compounds with sensory appeal is of growing scientific and industrial interest. This study evaluated mixed beverages formulated with varying ratios of lychee juice and yerba mate infusion to optimize physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity, and sensory acceptance. Five formulations were prepared (lychee:mate – 90:10 to 10:90). Analyses included pH, titratable acidity, color, viscosity, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity (DPPH, FRAP, ABTS), and mineral composition. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) interpreted the data, whereas flash profile (FP) and consumer tests assessed sensory characteristics and acceptance. PCA explained 88% of the variance, distinguishing samples by lychee and mate content. Lychee‐rich beverages were lighter, sweeter, more viscous, and higher in citric acid, whereas mate‐rich ones had greater TPC, antioxidant activity, and minerals. FP associated lychee with fruity aroma, sweetness, and smooth texture, and mate with bitterness, astringency, and darker color. All formulations showed good acceptance (scores ≈6), with F2 (70:30 lychee‐to‐mate) achieving the highest ratings for aroma, flavor, texture, and overall acceptance. Thus, the 70:30 formulation was identified as optimal, balancing antioxidant potential with desirable sensory attributes.