RESUMO
Ten probiotic cultures were screened for the ability to hydrolyze soy proteins and bile salt deconjugation (BSD) to select one lactobacilli and one bifidobacteria strain to produce fermented soy beverages (FSBs) containing acerola byproduct (ABP). Next, the effect of the strains and the ABP on the technological and sensory characteristics of these beverages was evaluated during refrigerated storage for up to 28 days. None of the tested strains presented any proteolytic activity against soy proteins. Among the probiotic strains, the best BSD activities were observed for Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 and Bifidobacterium longum BB-46, which were further employed, individually or combined, to produce FSB supplemented or not with ABP, using Streptococcus thermophilus TH-4 as a starter, and the effect of these strains and ABP on the technological and sensory acceptability of FSB was evaluated. The probiotic strains did not influence FBS texture parameters, but ABP increased firmness in the ready product. BB-46 increased acidity, therefore decreasing acceptance, whereas the presence of LA-5 and/or ABP increased acceptance, even though the appearance was negatively affected by ABP after 21 days of storage. Thus, the presence of LA-5 and ABP contributed for the sensory acceptance of the FSBs without affecting their technological features. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5, Bifidobacterium longum BB-46, and/or acerola byproduct (ABP) were applied in the production of fermented soy beverages (FSBs). Principal components analysis was used to evaluate the formulations of the 23 factorial design and the sensory attributes and the effect of storage independently and covariance was the matrix type used for mapping purposes. LA-5 and ABP contributed for the sensory acceptance of FSB, without affecting their technological features, and could be used by food processing companies after scaling up, also reducing the environmental impact by decreasing discarding byproducts, which are sources of bioactive compounds.