Valorization of Underutilized Tropical Fruits as a Source of Vitamins and Minerals for the Development of Functional Probiotic Beverages

This study aimed to formulate probiotic beverages using underutilized tropical fruit pulp, such as sincuya (Annona purpurea Moc. & Sessé ex Dunal), urraco (Licania platypus (Hemsl.) Fritsch), matasano (Casimiroa edulis La Llave y Lex), and jaboticaba (Plinia cauliflora Mart. Kausel), along with whey. Evaluations of color, vitamins, minerals, ˚Brix, pH, and titratable acidity (TA) were performed on the fruit pulps. Subsequently, four beverages inoculated with a mixed culture (Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Bulgaricus) were produced, and ˚Brix, pH, TA, acceptability index (AI), and colony-forming units (CFU) were measured after 9 hours of fermentation. Sincuya pulp was highlighted for its content of vitamin A (334.37 UI mg/100 g) and potassium (444.49 mg/100 g). In terms of sensory characteristics, the sincuya drink was best evaluated in terms of color, aroma, flavor, and general acceptability, with scores of 78%, 71%, 70%, and 71%, respectively. Uraco, sincuya, and matasano drinks exhibited values of 10.9, 10.4, and 9.7 Log10 CFU/mL, respectively. These results demonstrate that the fruits and formulated beverages have technological potential, functional and probiotic benefits, and sensory characteristics that are attractive to consumers. This innovative approach suggests an alternative for improving nutrition using local resources and agroindustrial byproducts.