PRODUCTION OF NUTRABEVERAGE THROUGH FERMENTATION OF POMEGRANATE, STRAWBERRY AND PINEAPPLE JUICES WITH KEFIR GRAINS

The term nutrabeverage was applied to the product of alcoholic fermentation made by using Kefir grains. In the present studies initially, the pH of the pomegranate juice sample was 3.7, 3.5 for strawberry and 3.8 pH for pineapple. The titrable acidity optimum was found in pineapple at 3.37 % while 16% TSS was found in pomegranate. The highest TSS content before fermentation was observed at 160brix, 90brix and 14.30 brix in the pomegranate, strawberry and pineapple juice respectively. After 15 days of fermentation at 25°C with pH 4.5, the lowest TSS content of 120brix, 8.30brix, and 100brix in the pomegranate, strawberry and pineapple nutrabeverage was observed respectively. The titrable acidity was found to increase after 15 days of fermentation at 25°C in all nutrabeverage while reducing sugar was found to the maximum before fermentation. The lowest reducing sugar content was 9.73%, 6.81% and 8.82% in the pomegranate, strawberry and pineapple nutrabeverage respectively recorded after fermentation. The maximum alcohol content 6.9%, 4.3% and 5.2% in the pomegranate, strawberry and pineapple nutrabeverage was observed at 25°C respectively at pH 4.5 after 15 days of fermentation. Vitamin C was found maximum before the fermentation of all juice. Additionally, this beverage has demonstrated strong antioxidant activity and sensory testing of the beverage produced positive findings.