Natural Antimicrobials in Dairy Products: Benefits, Challenges, and Future Trends.

This review delves into using natural antimicrobials in the dairy industry and examines various sources of these compounds, including microbial, plant, and animal sources. It discusses the mechanisms by which they inhibit microbial growth, for example, by binding to the cell wall's precursor molecule of the target microorganism, consequently inhibiting its biosynthesis, and interfering in the molecule transport mechanism, leading to cell death. In general, they prove to be effective against the main pathogens and spoilage found in food, such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus spp., Salmonella spp., mold, and yeast. Moreover, this review explores encapsulation technology as a promising approach for increasing the viability of natural antimicrobials against unfavorable conditions such as pH, temperature, and oxygen exposure. Finally, this review examines the benefits and challenges of using natural antimicrobials in dairy products. While natural antimicrobials offer several advantages, including improved safety, quality, and sensory properties of dairy products, it is crucial to be aware of the challenges associated with their use, such as potential allergenicity, regulatory requirements, and consumer perception. This review concludes by emphasizing the need for further research to identify and develop effective and safe natural antimicrobials for the dairy industry to ensure the quality and safety of dairy products for consumers.

Effects of Probiotic-Enriched Minas Cheese (Lactobacillus acidophilus La-05) on Cardiovascular Parameters in 5/6 Nephrectomized Rats.

Dairy foods have become an interest in chronic kidney disease (CKD) due to their nutritional profile, which makes them a good substrate for probiotics incorporation. This study evaluated the effect of probiotic-enriched Minas cheese with Lactobacillus acidophilus La-05 in an experimental rat model for CKD on cardiac, inflammatory, and oxidative stress parameters. Male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups (n = 7/group): 5/6 nephrectomy + conventional Minas cheese (NxC); 5/6 nephrectomy + probiotic Minas cheese (NxPC); Sham + conventional Minas cheese (ShamC); Sham + probiotic Minas cheese (ShamPC). Offering 20 g/day of Minas cheese with Lact. acidophilus La-05 (108-109 log CFU/g) for 6 weeks. The cardiomyocyte diameter was determined. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in plasma, heart, kidney, and colon tissue was performed. At the end of supplementation, no significant changes in lipid profile and renal parameters were found. The NxPC group showed a decrease in cardiomyocyte diameter compared to the NxC group (16.99 ± 0.85 vs. 19.05 ± 0.56 µm, p = 0.0162); also they showed reduced plasmatic SOD activity (502.8 ± 49.12 vs. 599.4 ± 94.69 U/mL, p < 0.0001). In summary, probiotic-enriched Minas cheese (Lact. acidophilus La-05) consumption suggests a promisor cardioprotective effect and was able to downregulate SOD activity in a rat model of CKD.

Heavy metals and health risk assessment of Brazilian artisanal cheeses.

Dairy products stand out as a food matrix susceptible to the contamination of heavy metals via cattle feed and environmental or processing conditions. Specifically, in the case of cheese, the concentrations can be further increased depending on the production process. The artisanal cheese market has been standing out, especially in Brazil, due to cultural and gastronomic reasons. Eight types of Brazilian artisanal cheese were analyzed for metal concentrations (chromium, copper, cadmium, lead, arsenic, and mercury, n = 80, 10 samples of each cheese) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Based on the results, a health risk assessment was carried out, based on the determination of estimated daily intake, target hazard quotient (THQ), and hazard index (HI). Variable concentrations were observed between the types of cheese, but in all cases the THQ and HI values were less than 1, indicating an absence of potential risk in the consumption of artisanal cheeses in relation to the intake of heavy metals.

Free comment as a valuable approach to characterize and identify the drivers of liking of high-protein flavored milk drink submitted to ohmic heating.

Flavored milk drink is a popular dairy product traditionally processed by pasteurization, which is a safe and robust process. Still, it can imply a greater energy expenditure and a more significant sensorial alteration. Ohmic heating (OH) has been proposed as an alternative to dairy processing, including flavored milk drink. However, its impact on sensory characteristics needs to be evidenced. This study used Free Comment, an underexplored methodology in sensory studies, to characterize five samples of high-protein vanilla-flavored milk drink: PAST (conventional pasteurization 72 °C/15 s); OH6 (ohmic heating at 5.22 V/cm); OH8 (ohmic heating at 6.96 V/cm); OH10 (ohmic heating at 8.70 V/cm), and OH12 (ohmic heating at 10.43 V/cm). Free Comment raised similar descriptors to those found in studies that used more consolidated descriptive methods. The employed statistical approach allowed observation that pasteurization and OH treatment have different effects on the sensory profile of products, and the electrical field strength of OH also has a significant impact. PAST was slightly to moderately negatively associated with "acid taste," "fresh milk taste," "smoothness," "sweet taste," "vanilla flavor," "vanilla aroma," "viscous," and "white color." On the other hand, OH processing with more intense electric fields (OH10 and OH12) produced flavored milk drinks strongly associated with the "in natura" milk descriptors ("fresh milk aroma" and "fresh milk taste"). Furthermore, the products were characterized by the descriptors "homogeneous," "sweet aroma," "sweet taste," "vanilla aroma," "white color," "vanilla taste," and "smoothness." In parallel, less intense electric fields (OH6 and OH8) produced samples more associated with a bitter taste, viscosity, and lumps presence. Sweet taste and fresh milk taste were the drivers of liking. In conclusion, OH with more intense electric fields (OH10 and OH12) was promising in flavored milk drink processing. Furthermore, the free comment was a valuable approach to characterize and identify the drivers of liking of high-protein flavored milk drink submitted to OH.

Probiotic fermented whey-milk beverages: Effect of different probiotic strains on the physicochemical characteristics, biological activity, and bioactive peptides.

The effect of probiotic strains (Lactobacillus acidophilus La-03 (La-03); Lactobacillus acidophilus La-05 (La-05); Bifidobacterium Bb-12 (Bb-12) or Lacticaseibacillus casei-01 (L. casei-01)) on the characteristics of fermented whey-milk beverages during storage (4 °C, 30 days) was evaluated. The products were assessed for biological and antioxidant activities, physicochemical characteristics, and bioactive peptides. Probiotic addition increased α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition and antioxidant activities, mainly at 15 days of storage. L. casei-01 showed higher metabolic activity (higher titratable acidity and lower pH values) and the presence of anti-hypertensive peptides, while La-5 and Bb-12 showed higher α-glucosidase inhibition, improvements in the high saturated hypercholesterolemic index, and peptides with ACE-inhibitory, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant activities. Our findings suggest that probiotic fermented whey-milk beverages may exert antidiabetic and antioxidant properties, being suggested La-5 or Bb-12 as probiotics and 15 days of storage.

Technological aspects and health effects of hydrolyzed collagen and application in dairy products.

With the rise of a consumer market increasingly concerned with food and healthy lifestyle habits, the search for functional products has increased in the last years. In this context, dairy products are relevant since they are already included in the consumer's diet. Furthermore, hydrolyzed collagen stands out among products with bioactive action, as it promotes the reduction of the incidence of arthritis, osteoporosis, hypertension, obesity, and premature aging and contains healing, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. In addition to health benefits, the addition of these ingredients to dairy products can influence physical, chemical, rheological, microbiological, and sensory characteristics, such as: decreased syneresis and improved texture of fermented milks; viscosity increase in dairy beverage; increased proteolytic activity in cheeses; and increasing the viability of probiotics, without significantly altering the quality standards of the legislation. Despite the benefits described, more studies are needed to evaluate these effects in different dairy products.

Ohmic heating treatment in high-protein vanilla flavored milk: Quality, processing factors, and biological activity.

The processing of high-protein vanilla-flavored milk was performed under different electric field strengths of ohmic heating (5.22 V/cm, OH6; 6.96 V/cm, OH8; 8.70 V/cm, OH10; 10.43 V/cm, OH12) to evaluate the energy consumption, processing parameters, and microbiological, rheological, and biological aspects, compared with the sample submitted to conventional pasteurization (PAST, 72 °C/15 s). All samples showed higher than 12 g/100 mL of protein, consisting of high-protein content products. In addition, Ohmic Heating (OH) generated lower energy expenditure and more significant microbial inactivation of lactic acid bacteria, molds and yeasts, total mesophiles, and psychotropics. Furthermore, OH at lower electric field strengths, mainly OH8, improved anti-diabetic, anti-oxidant, and anti-hypertensive activities and rheological properties, and resulted in lower hydroxymethylfurfural contents, and higher whey protein nitrogen index. The results suggest that OH is a technology that can be used in flavored milk with high-protein content, being recommended an electric field strength of 6.96 V/cm. However, more studies are necessary to evaluate the effect of OH on high-protein dairy products, mainly by studying other OH processing parameters.

Pesticide residues in milk and dairy products: An overview of processing degradation and trends in mitigating approaches.

Milk and dairy products present considerable socioeconomic importance but are also a regular pesticide residue contamination source, which is considered a worldwide public health concern and a major international trade issue. Thus, a literature review was conducted to assess pesticide residue levels in milk and dairy products, as well as the residue degradation capacity during its processing. Organochlorine, organophosphate, synthetic pyrethroid and/or triazine were found in fluid milk, powder products, yogurts, cheese, butter, and sour cream. Thermal processing reduced most residue levels, although some treatments increased total hexachlorocyclohexane and its isomers (α-, γ-, δ-, and ß-). Emerging non-thermal treatments presented promising results, but some by-products had higher toxicity than their precursors. Biodegradation by lactic acid bacteria were effective during yogurt and cheese fermentation. However, ß-hexachlorocyclohexane level seems to increase in yogurts containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis, while increase or maintenance of pesticide residue concentration was observed during coagulation and cheese maturation. Deep research is needed to understand the isomerization and degradation mechanisms after thermal, non-thermal, and fermentation processing. Emerging heat technology can be an excellent topic to be investigated for pesticide residues degradation in the future. These mitigation approaches can be a feasible future alternative to milk and dairy production.

What are the challenges for ohmic heating in the food industry? Insights of a bibliometric analysis.

The trends related to ohmic heating technology in food processing were evaluated using bibliometric analysis based on the scientific literature published in the last decade. Publications from Turkey, Brazil, and Iran represent 32% of all publications. Most studies have targeted the definition of the best combinations of operational parameters for application in different food matrices and their possible effects on the food properties. In addition, a tendency to use ohmic heating as an alternative technology for pasteurization was observed. Future studies should develop mathematical models that evaluate process parameters and food characteristics in the inactivation of microorganisms and enzymes and maintenance of bioactive compounds, the study of the non-thermal effect of electromagnetic waves on the food quality, the evaluation of the processing conditions and food physicochemical properties in the electrode corrosion and migration of metal ions to the treated food, and improvements of homogeneity during processing. This study was the first to perform a bibliometric analysis based on scientific literature concerning ohmic heating in food processing and presented the challenges, future trends, and evolution of scientific research.

Lyophilized Symbiotic Mitigates Mucositis Induced by 5-Fluorouracil.

Mucositis is an adverse effect of cancer chemotherapies using 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU). It is characterized by mucosal inflammation, pain, diarrhea, and weight loss. Some studies reported promising healing effects of probiotic strains, when associated with prebiotics, as adjuvant treatment of mucositis. We developed a lyophilized symbiotic product, containing skimmed milk, supplemented with whey protein isolate (WPI) and with fructooligosaccharides (FOS), and fermented by Lactobacillus casei BL23, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum B7, and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus B1. In a mice 5-FU mucositis model, this symbiotic lyophilized formulation was able to reduce weight loss and intestinal permeability. This last was determined in vivo by quantifying blood radioactivity after oral administration of 99mTc-DTPA. Finally, histological damages caused by 5-FU-induced mucositis were monitored. Consumption of the symbiotic formulation caused a reduced score of inflammation in the duodenum, ileum, and colon. In addition, it decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-17, and TNF-α in the mice ileum. The symbiotic product developed in this work thus represents a promising adjuvant treatment of mucositis.

Synbiotic sheep milk ice cream reduces chemically induced mouse colon carcinogenesis.

Sheep dairy products containing prebiotic and probiotic ingredients may have health-promoting properties. Thus, this study evaluated the effects of sheep milk ice cream [conventional full-fat (CONV), full-fat enriched with probiotic (PROB, 100 mg % wt/wt of Lacticaseibacillus casei 01), or nonfat synbiotic (SYNB, Lacticaseibacillus casei 01 and inulin, 10% wt/wt)] on carcinogen-induced colonic crypt cytotoxicity and premalignant lesion development. Male Swiss mice received 2 doses of colon carcinogen azoxymethane (AOM, 15 mg/kg of body weight) at wk 3 and 4. Two weeks before and during AOM administrations (4 wk) mice were treated with CONV, PROB, or SYNB by gavage (10 mL/kg). Mice were euthanized at wk 4 or 25 (n = 5 or 10 mice/group, respectively). At wk 4, a significant reduction in micronucleated colonocytes was observed in PROB and SYNB groups, and a significant decrease in both p53 expression and apoptosis indexes in colonic crypts was observed in SYNB group. At wk 25, both PROB and SYNB interventions reduced the mean number of colonic premalignant lesions. However, only SYNB group showed lower incidence and number of high-grade premalignant lesions in the colonic mucosa. These findings indicate that PROB or SYNB sheep milk ice cream, especially SYNB intervention, can reduce chemically induced mouse colon carcinogenesis.

Probiotic fermented milks: Children's emotional responses using a product-specific emoji list.

This study aimed to develop and validate a product-specific emoji list and use this list to analyse children's emotional responses associated with the consumption of probiotic fermented milks prepared with different probiotic strains. Furthermore, the overall liking of the products was studied during a sensory test. Six formulations were studied: Bifidobacterium BB12 (BB), Lactobacillus acidophilus L3 (LA3), Lactobacillus acidophilus LA 05 (LA5), Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis (LL), Lacticaseibacillus casei 01 (LC), and Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (CONV). A total of 132 children (7-14 years old) participated in two study phases: development (n = 32) and validation (n = 100) of the list. Fifteen emoji were selected to be included in the product-specific list, which had a high frequency of citations in the first phase. The formulations with the highest overall liking (LL, BB, LC and CONV) were correlated with positive emoji, while the least-liked formulations (LA3 and LA5) were associated with negative emoji. Furthermore, the utilisation of emoji enabled the differentiation among formulations with similar overall liking. Therefore, this study developed and validated an emoji list to be used in the evaluation of fermented milks by children. The results suggest that the type of probiotic culture impacted the sensory characteristics of fermented milks, supporting the use of Bifidobacterium, L. lactis or L. casei in these products.

Ohmic heating processing of milk for probiotic fermented milk production: Survival kinetics of Listeria monocytogenes as contaminant post-fermentation, bioactive compounds retention and sensory acceptance.

The survival kinetics of Listeria monocytogenes (9 log CFU/mL) as a post-fermentation contaminant in probiotic fermented milk (Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5, 8-9 log CFU/mL) processed with milk subjected to ohmic heating (0, 4, 6, and 8 V/cm; CONV, OH4, OH6, OH8, 90-95 °C/5 min) was investigated using Weibull predictive model. Additionally, the presence of bioactive compounds (antioxidant activity, inhibition of the enzymes α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and angiotensin-converting) and sensory analysis (consumer test) of probiotic fermented milks were evaluated. Overall, OH provided a decrease in the viability of Listeria monocytogenes, suitable Lactobacillus acidophilus counts, and satisfactory results in the gastrointestinal tract survival. The Weibull model presented an excellent fit to the data of all conditions. Furthermore, lower δ values (217-298 against 665 h, CONV), and increased R2 values (0.99 against 0.98, CONV) were obtained for the OH-treated samples, emphasizing the best performance of OH data. In addition, OH improved the generation of bioactive compounds as well as the sensory acceptance. Indeed, considering functional and safety purposes, OH presented as an interesting technology to be used in milk for manufacturing probiotic fermented milk.

Impact of cold plasma on the techno-functional and sensory properties of whey dairy beverage added with xylooligosaccharide.

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of cold plasma (0, 5, 10, or 15 min) on the techno-functional and sensory properties of whey dairy beverages added with xylooligosaccharide (XOS, 1.5% p/v). Untreated and pasteurized whey beverages were also evaluated. The products were evaluated for physicochemical characteristics, bioactive compounds, XOS stability, rheological properties, and sensory characteristics. Cold plasma and pasteurized products presented lower color intensity (L*=87.4-87.9, a*=-0.24- -0.60, b*=2.41-5.19), reduced consistency (K = 4.31-42.21 mPa.sn and N = 0.57-0.95), and similar apparent viscosity, XOS chemical stability, and sensory characteristics compared with the untreated product. However, the cold plasma-treated beverages presented lower heat load indicators (hydroxymethylfurfural [HMF] values of 1.91-2.10 µmol/L and whey protein nitrogen index [WPNI] of 6.09-6.66 µmol/L) and a higher concentration of bioactive compounds (antioxidant activity [5.31-9.30%], and inhibition of ACE [14.17-22.53%], α-amylase [18.52-25.67%] and α-glucosidase [22.50-27.50%] activities) than the pasteurized product, being the effects more pronounced for the higher exposure times. Overall, cold plasma has important advantages for the processing of whey beverages added with XOS.

Therapeutic Effects of Probiotic Minas Frescal Cheese on the Attenuation of Ulcerative Colitis in a Murine Model.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) constitute disturbances of gastrointestinal tract that cause irreversible changes in the structure and function of tissues. Ulcerative colitis (UC), the most frequent IBD in the population, is characterized by prominent inflammation of the human colon. Functional foods containing probiotic bacteria have been studied as adjuvants to the treatment or prevention of IBDs. The selected probiotic strain Lactococcus lactis NCDO 2118 (L. lactis NCDO 2118) exhibits immunomodulatory effects, with promising results in UC mouse model induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). Additionally, cheese is a dairy food that presents high nutritional value, besides being a good delivery system that can be used to improve survival and enhance the therapeutic effects of probiotic bacteria in the host. Therefore, this work investigated the probiotic therapeutic effects of an experimental Minas Frescal cheese containing L. lactis NCDO 2118 in DSS-induced colitis in mice. During colitis induction, mice that consumed the probiotic cheese exhibited reduced in the severity of colitis, with attenuated weight loss, lower disease activity index, limited shortening of the colon length, and reduced histopathological score. Moreover, probiotic cheese administration increased gene expression of tight junctions' proteins zo-1, zo-2, ocln, and cln-1 in the colon and increase IL-10 release in the spleen and lymph nodes. In this way, this work demonstrates that consumption of probiotic Minas Frescal cheese, containing L. lactis NCDO 2118, prevents the inflammatory process during DSS-induced colitis in mice, opening perspectives for the development of new probiotic functional foods for personalized nutrition in the context of IBD.

Paraprobiotic obtained by ohmic heating added in whey-grape juice drink is effective to control postprandial glycemia in healthy adults.

The effect of paraprobiotic Lacticaseibacillus casei 01 inactivated by ohmic heating (8 V/cm, 95 °C/7 min, 60 Hz) whey-grape juice drink at the postprandial glycemia was evaluated. In vitro hypoglycemic activity was assessed by the α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition, while in vivo activity was determined using 15 healthy subjects, which consumed bread + probiotic whey drink, bread + paraprobiotic whey drink, and bread alone as a control. The probiotic and paraprobiotic grape-flavored whey drinks showed similar α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition (51.2 vs 51.8% and 43.2 vs 44.2%, respectively). The consumption of both paraprobiotic and probiotic whey drinks increased the incremental glucose rate when compared to the control due to the presence of sugar in its composition, without changes in the other parameters evaluated (maximum glucose value, glucose incremental percentage, and peak blood glucose time), showing a reduced glycemic response. In addition, the consumption of the paraprobiotic drink maintained the maximum glucose increase similar to the control, while an increase in this parameter was observed after the consumption of the probiotic drink. Therefore, the paraprobiotic grape-flavored whey drink may be an effective alternative to replace the probiotic product in reducing the postprandial glycemia in healthy individuals.

Polyphenols of jabuticaba [Myrciaria jaboticaba (Vell.) O.Berg] seeds incorporated in a yogurt model exert antioxidant activity and modulate gut microbiota of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced colon cancer in rats.

The chemical composition, antioxidant activity (AA), cytotoxic activity, antihemolytic effects, and enzyme inhibition (EI) of lyophilized jabuticaba (Myrciaria jaboticaba) seed extract (LJE) was studied. The main compounds found were castalagin, vescalagin, procyanidin A2, and ellagic acid. LJE was more toxic to cancer cells than to normal cells, meaning relative toxicological safety. This cytotoxic effect can be attributed to the pro-oxidant effect observed in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation assay. LJE inhibited α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and ACE-I activities and protected human erythrocytes from hemolysis. LJE was incorporated into yogurts at different concentrations and the total phenolic content, AA, and EI increased in a dose-dependent manner. LJE-containing yogurt presented 86% sensory acceptance. The yogurt was administered to Wistar rats bearing cancer and it modulated the gut bacterial microbiota, having a prebiotic effect. LJE is a potential functional ingredient for food companies looking for TPC, AA, and prebiotic effect in vivo.

Effects of microwave heating on the chemical composition and bioactivity of orange juice-milk beverages.

The effect of microwave heating (MH, 65 and 75 °C for 15, 30, and 60 s) on the bioactive compounds, fatty acid profile, and volatile compounds of orange juice-milk beverage (OJMB) was evaluated during 28 days of refrigerated (4 °C) storage. Conventionally pasteurized (75 °C/15 s) and untreated beverages were used as controls. MH-OJMB presented a lower browning index and higher levels of ascorbic acid, total phenolics, and carotenoids, higher antioxidant activity, and greater α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and ACE inhibitory activity than the pasteurized product, similar to the untreated beverage. No significant differences were observed in the volatile organic compounds and fatty acids levels. Lower temperatures (65 °C) and longer process times (60 s) resulted in higher retention of bioactive compounds. MH can be an alternative to conventional pasteurization for OJMB processing.

Sheep milk kefir sweetened with different sugars: Sensory acceptance and consumer emotion profiling.

The objective of this study was to determine the sensory acceptance and emotional profile of sheep milk kefir sweetened with different sugars (demerara sugar, brown sugar, fructose, coconut sugar, and honey, 100 g/L). Consumers (n = 100) assessed sensory acceptance (appearance, aroma, taste, texture, and overall impression), and expressed their emotions (satisfied, active, loving, calm, comfortable, energetic, happy, healthy, refreshing, disgusted, worried, and upset). The emotions "satisfied," "active," "comfortable," "energetic," "healthy," and "refreshing" were found between moderate and very high levels, indicating that they are important emotions for the characterization and sensory acceptance of kefir samples. The use of different sugars had no influence on the intensity of the emotions "calm," "comfortable," "happy," or "disgusted," and resulted in a greater sense of satisfaction. The use of demerara sugar or fructose did not alter the acceptance of the products or the intensity of emotions. The use of brown sugar decreased acceptance (taste, texture, and overall impression) and the intensity of the emotions "active," "loving," "energetic," "healthy," and "refreshing." The use of coconut sugar decreased acceptance (appearance, aroma, and taste) and the intensity of the emotions "refreshing" and "upset." The use of honey improved acceptance in appearance and aroma but reduced the intensity of the emotions "active," "loving," "energetic," and "healthy." Based on sensory data, it is recommended to use demerara sugar or fructose as a substitute for sucrose. In conclusion, the study of emotions can be used as an additional tool for obtaining data related to the sensory acceptance of products.

Antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of probiotic whey dairy beverages in human prostate cell lines.

The present study aimed to evaluate the antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of probiotic whey dairy beverages in human prostate cancer cell lines (PC-3 and DU-145). Five different whey beverages were manufactured: conventional whey beverage (without addition of probiotic strain, CTL); and whey beverages containing Lactobacillus acidophilus La-05, Lactobacillus acidophilus La-03, Lactobacillus casei-01, and Bifidobacterium animalis Bb-12. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay and cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis by flow cytometry. All the samples presented cytotoxic activities against both cell lines. A decrease in the percentage of PC-3 cells in G0/G1 and S, followed by an increase in G2/M phase were observed with L. casei-01, Bb-12 and La-05 beverages (50.0 and 100.0 µg/mL). The extracts of the whey beverages caused extensive apoptosis induction in both cells' lines, regardless of the probiotic strain. However, the whey beverage added with L. casei-01 might be a better candidate against prostate cancer cells.