Chestnut milk fermented with a blend of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus fermentum: Enhancing physicochemical and flavor profiles through blended plant protein supplementation.

Our study offers a novel the walnut-sunflower seed protein composite (P-W + P-SS) for preparing chestnut-based milk fermented with Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Limosilactobacillus fermentum. Firstly, physicochemical profiles were investigated during fermentation and storage. The amino acid levels were significantly higher in the P-W + P-SS fermented group relative to the CY fermented group, with threonine, alanine, and proline increasing from 32.77, 11.07, and 17.97 μg/mL to 52.17, 22.34, and 25.73 μg/mL, respectively. The DPPH radical scavenging activity was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the P-SS (74.41%) and P-W + P-SS (73.12%) groups compared to the CY (29.9%) and PW (53.4%) groups, representing an approximately 2.5-fold increase. This formulation supported robust probiotic growth, achieving 1.05 × 109 CFU/mL and maintained high viability (9.3 × 108 CFU/mL) after 20 days of storage. Secondly, GC-IMS was employed to analysis volatile compounds. It revealed 30 additional flavor compounds in P-W + P-SS relative to the control.