Formulation of Foxtail Millet Probiotic Powder Enriched with High Protein and Fibre
Aiswarya Velekat Santhosh, Sweety, Ramachandra B
Microbiology Research Journal International · pp. 8–19 · Published 11 Jan 2025
10.9734/mrji/2025/v35i11531Abstract
Aims: The study aimed to formulate a foxtail millet probiotic powder enriched with high protein and fibre. Study Design: This was an experimental, laboratory-based study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Department of Dairy Microbiology, Dairy Science College, Hebbal, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, between January 2024 and October 2024. Methodology: Foxtail millet was sterilized by autoclaving at 121°C for 15 minutes, while chia seeds and whey protein concentrate (WPC) were sterilized via autoclaving and UV treatment, respectively. Microbiological analysis for contaminants, including aerobic spores, yeasts, and molds, was performed using the pour plate method. The incorporation levels of probiotic cultures into the millet flour were optimized based on their viability. The resulting millet-probiotic powder was enriched with protein (from WPC) and fibre (from chia flour) to meet the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for these nutrients using trial and error method. The protein and fibre contents were quantified using the micro Kjeldahl method and crude fibre estimation, respectively. Statistical analyses were conducted using ANOVA, with a critical difference (CD) at a 5% significance level employed to assess the significance of differences between treatments. Results: Sterilization methods significantly reduced microbial counts in foxtail millet flour, chia flour, and whey protein concentrate. Autoclaving at 121°C for 15 minutes completely sterilized millet and chia flours, while UV-C treatment effectively sterilized WPC, reducing microbial contamination to undetectable levels. The mixed culture of Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5, Bifidobacterium bifidum BB-12, and Streptococcus thermophilus demonstrated the highest viable counts across various inoculation levels. A 5% inoculation rate was selected for further studies due to its optimal balance of viability and resource efficiency. Whey protein concentrate (WPC) with 80.04% protein content and chia flour with 24.6% fibre were incorporated into the probiotic millet dry mix, enhancing both protein and fibre content to meet Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for adults. A formulation of 74.5g foxtail millet, 68g chia flour, and 7.5g WPC per 150g was optimized, yielding 27.05g of protein (50.09% of the RDA) and 20.39g of fibre (50.99% of the RDA), resulting in a nutritionally dense and functional product. Conclusion: The sterilization methods successfully reduced microbial contamination in foxtail millet flour, chia flour, and whey protein concentrate, ensuring a safe base for probiotic inclusion. The optimized formulation, combining foxtail millet, chia flour, and whey protein concentrate, resulted in a nutritionally dense dry mix, providing 50.09% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein and 50.99% for fibre. This approach demonstrates the potential for developing a functional product that enhances both nutritional value and probiotic viability.
References (12)
- 1 The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotic [DOI]
- 2 The Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) [DOI]
- 3 Nutritional and health benefits of millets. [DOI]
- 4 Dietary Protein and Energy Balance in Relation to Obesity and Co-morbidities [DOI]
- 5 Lactic acid fermentation of apricot juice by mono- and mixed cultures of probiotic Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains [DOI]
- 6 Effects of whey protein supplementation on adiposity, body weight, and glycemic parameters: A synthesis of evidence [DOI]
- 7 Effect of chia product supplement on anthropometric measures, blood pressure, glycemic-related parameters, lipid profile and inflammatory indicators: A systematic and meta-analysis [DOI]
- 8 Effect of Heat Treatment and Gamma Irradiation on the Total Bacterial Count of Selected Millet Grains (Jowar, Bajra and Foxtail) [DOI]
- 9 Effect of probiotic microbial cell preparation (MCP) on fasting blood glucose, body weight, waist circumference, and faecal short chain fatty acids among overweight Malaysian adults: a pilot randomised controlled trial of 4 weeks.
- 10 Influence of Incorporating Chia Seeds on the Quality Characteristics of Pan Bread [DOI]
- 11 Quality Characteristics of Seolgiddeok added with Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC) Powder [DOI]
- 12 Sporicidal Treatments to Produce Germinated Finger Millet [DOI]
Cited by 6
Aiswarya Velekat Santhosh, Sweety, Asif Ali T S, Ramachandra B · Journal of Advances in Microbiology · 2025
S. Dhivya, Jobil J. Arackal, S. Tharani · Springer eBooks · 2026
Shagolshem Mukta Singh, Abhishek Kumar, Prashant Kumar · Springer eBooks · 2026
Showing 3 of 6 known citations — external sources report more than can currently be individually listed.
Related research
- Obesity: Multiple Biological Factors — shares topic coverage
- Drug Interactions, Safety and Efficacy of Probiotics — shares topic coverage
- Intestinal Dysbiosis in Systemic Inflamation and Possibilities of Its Correction with Probiotics — shares topic coverage
- P. pentosaceus Administration Attenuates the Severity of Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis and Improve the Intestinal Permeability — shares topic coverage
- Enhancement of Growth and Bioactivities of Probiotic Bacterium Streptococcus thermophilus as Influenced by Lactalbumin Hydrolysate and Inulin Supplementation in Skimmed Milk Medium — shares topic coverage
Article metrics
Real usage data collected on this platform.
68
Page views
0
PDF downloads
15
Outbound clicks
6
Citations
Views over time
Views by country
Approximate, from request IP at view time — not citizenship or institution. Countries with fewer than 5 views are grouped as "Other".
Traffic sources
Referring site, by host.
Views and downloads exclude known bots/crawlers. Citations combines this platform's own DOI-resolved index with each external source's own reported total — see Cited by above for individually listed citing works. Last refreshed 0 seconds ago.