Preparation of Fermented Beverage from Whey-Based Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Juice

The study was aimed to develop a probiotic beverage using Chhana whey and watermelon juice. The blends of whey and watermelon juice were optimized based on physicochemical and sensory evaluation. The bacterial culture was used as per 1% Lactobacillus acidophilus NIAI L-54 as a probiotic culture. The 75: 25 blend of whey and watermelon fermented for 5 h at 37°C obtained the highest sensory scores for overall acceptability. The shelf-life of the selected blend was examined using titratable acidity, pH, microbiological analysis as well as sensory evaluation. The results suggested that probiotic beverages can be preserved for 21 days in refrigerated conditions (4°C) with higher acceptability along with probiotic bacterial count 4.00 Log₁₀CFU/mL. It could be concluded that the wheybased watermelon beverage enabled by-product utilization with excellent nutritional and functional value.