Extruded mung-bean snacks fortified with 0.5% Bacillus coagulans retained 7.10 log CFU/g culturable cells after three months at room temperature and showed metabolite patterns differing from the control, particularly in amino-acid, lipid, and flavour-related pathways. The findings support product-development feasibility but do not demonstrate consumer health benefits.
Key findings
- The 0.5% formulation had the most stable culturable count at 7.10 log CFU/g. PCA showed visual group clustering, but the overall PERMANOVA difference was not significant. Negative mode highlighted L-tyrosine in the 0.1% group and threonine, L-histidine, and fatty-acid metabolites in the 0.5% group; positive mode highlighted L-glutamic acid, isoleucine, and L-phenylalanine in the 0.5% group.
Why this matters globally
Maintaining probiotic viability in shelf-stable ready-to-eat foods is a global formulation challenge. This study adds evidence that fortification level may accompany chemical changes during storage, relevant to shelf life, flavour, and product specifications.
Thai researcher contribution
Researchers at Kasetsart University's Institute of Food Research and Product Development integrated extrusion processing, microbial assays, and LC-MS metabolomics, demonstrating Thai capacity to develop value-added mung-bean foods.
Limitations to consider
The abstract does not report biological replicate numbers, moisture, packaging, oxygen conditions, sensory testing, or full metabolite-identification confidence. PCA separation alongside a non-significant PERMANOVA requires caution, and viable counts do not establish health efficacy.