Sensory quality and Metabolomic fingerprinting of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei-derived fermented soymilk beverages: Impact of starter strain and storage.

Few previous studies have concurrently evaluated the effects of different fermentation bacterial strains and storage durations on the characteristics of fermented soymilk beverages (FSBs). This study used Lacticaseibacillus paracasei to conduct systematic assessments and demonstrated that soy protein is the optimal ingredient for sensory evaluation. Both investigated strains (PC-01 and PC646) significantly enhanced the nutritional and flavor profiles of FSBs, introducing a range of bioactive metabolites absent in non-fermented soymilk. Throughout the storage period, a decline in pH and viable bacterial counts was observed, along with an increase in titratable acidity and stability. Moreover, the metabolomic structure and metabolite abundance varied considerably between the FSBs produced by the two strains, with the non-volatile components showing greater variation, whereas the storage duration predominantly influenced the volatile metabolite components. These insights highlight the critical roles of strain selection and storage duration in shaping the nutritional and sensory qualities of FSBs.