Development of fermented oat flour beverage as a potential probiotic vehicle

Delivery of Probiotic-Loaded Microcapsules in the Gastrointestinal Tract: A Review

Probiotics are live microorganisms that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract and confer health benefits to consumers. However, a sufficient number of viable probiotic cells must be delivered to the specific site of interest in the gastrointestinal tract to exert these benefits. Enhanced viability and tolerance to sublethal gastrointestinal stress can be achieved using appropriate coating materials and food matrices for orally consumed probiotics. The release mechanism and interaction of probiotic microcapsules with the gastrointestinal tract have been minimally explored in the literature to date. To the authors' knowledge, no review has been published to discuss the nature of release and the challenges in the targeted delivery of probiotics. This review addresses gastrointestinal-related complications in the formulation of targeted delivery and controlled release of probiotic strains. It investigates the impacts of environmental stresses during the transition stage and delivery to the target region in the gastrointestinal tract. The influence of factors such as pH levels, enzymatic degradation, and redox conditions on the release mechanisms of probiotics is presented. Finally, the available methods to evaluate the efficiency of a probiotic delivery system, including in vitro and in vivo, are reviewed and assessed. The paper concludes with a discussion highlighting the emerging technologies in the field and emphasising key areas in need of future study.

Pearl millet flour and green gram milk based probiotic beverage

The probiotic beverage was developed using germinated and ungerminated pearl millet flour and green gram milk. The germinated and ungerminated pearl millet flour was added to green gram milk at different concentrations (0.5-2.5 %) along with sugar and cardamom. The mixtures were then inoculated with probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus incubated at 37 °C for 6 h. Characterization of probiotic beverages was carried out during storage at (4 ± 1)°C for 21 days. The germinated flour beverage had high acidity as compared to the ungerminated flour beverage. The probiotic count in germinated and ungerminated flour beverages ranged from 8.19 to 8.77 × 107 and 8.04 to 8.52 × 107 log CFU/mL, respectively. Antioxidant activity, polyphenol content increased with an increase in the concentration of flour in the beverage. The LC-MS analysis found the existence of vitexin and isovitexin as the main polyphenolic compounds in the probiotic beverage. Non-dairy probiotic beverage prepared with 0.5 % germinated millet flour gave the best taste, color, texture, and rheological properties.

What are the main obstacles to turning foods healthier through probiotics incorporation? a review of functionalization of foods by probiotics and bioactive metabolites

Functional foods are gaining significant attention from people all over the world. When added to foods, probiotic bacteria can turn them healthier and confer beneficial health effects, such as improving the immune system and preventing cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. However, adding probiotics to foods is a challenging task. The processing steps often involve high temperatures, and intrinsic food factors, such as pH, water activity, dissolved oxygen, post-acidification, packaging, and cold storage temperatures, can stress the probiotic strain and impact its viability. Moreover, it is crucial to consider these factors during food product development to ensure the effectiveness of the probiotic strain. Among others, techniques such as microencapsulation and lyophilization, have been highlighted as industrial food functionalization strategies. In this review, we present and discuss alternatives that may be used to functionalize foods by incorporating probiotics and/or delivering bioactive compounds produced by probiotics. We also emphasize the main challenges in different food products and the technological characteristics influencing them. The knowledge available here may contribute to overcoming the practical obstacles to food functionalization with probiotics.

Plant-Based Fermented Beverages: Development and Characterization

The production of plant-based fermented beverages has been currently focused on providing a functional alternative to vegan and/or vegetarian consumers. This study primarily targeted the development and characterization of fermented beverages made up of hydrosoluble extracts of oats, almonds, soybeans, Brazil nuts, and rice. The fermentation was carried out by lactic cultures of Bifidobacterium BB-12, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5, and Streptococcus thermophilus. Plant extracts were fermented at 37 °C for 12 h, with and without sucrose supplementation. The physicochemical and microbiological stability of the extracts was monitored for 28 days at 5 ± 1 °C. The composition of the fermented beverages was subsequently determined. The pH values measured at the beginning and the end of the extracts' fermentation ranged between 6.45 and 7.09, and 4.10 to 4.97, respectively. Acidity indices, expressed as a percentage of lactic acid, ranged from 0.01 to 0.06 g/100 mL at the beginning of the fermentation, and from 0.02 to 0.33 g/100 mL upon fermentation being concluded. Most fermented extracts achieved viable lactic acid bacteria counts exceeding 106 CFU/mL during storage. Sucrose supplementation did not alter the rate of bacterial growth. The findings showed that the complete replacement of dairy ingredients with water-soluble plant extracts is a potential alternative for developing a functional fermented plant-based beverage.

Bio-yogurt with the inclusion of phytochemicals from carrots (Daucus carota): a strategy in the design of functional dairy beverage with probiotics

The development of yogurt with functional characteristics from bioactive compounds such as fiber, antioxidants, and probiotics represents a novel strategy in designing value-added dairy beverages. However, biotechnological challenges are present in these bioprocesses, such as the selection of probiotic strains, as well as the correlation with the physicochemical characteristics of the fermentative metabolism of probiotic microorganisms. Therefore, yogurt could be a vehicle for including probiotic bacteria, bioactive compounds, and phytochemicals that allow synergistic effects in the development of bioprocesses with potential benefits for the host's health. Therefore, this article aims to review the current conditions of bio-yogurt production, discuss the physicochemical and bioactive composition (sugars, fiber, vitamins), and include phytochemicals from carrots to establish synergistic relationships with probiotic microorganisms to obtain a functional dairy beverage.

Fermented Oats as a Novel Functional Food

Fermented oats are gaining popularity due to their nutritional value and the increasing consumer demand for health-conscious foods. These oats are believed to offer enhanced phytochemical and nutritional profiles compared to unfermented oats. The increased nutritional content of fermented oats is associated with various health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, which could potentially reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Further investigations are warranted to elucidate the nutritional benefits of fermented oats in human nutrition. This mini review provides a comprehensive overview of fermented oat products available on the market and the various production methods employed for fermenting oats. Furthermore, this review investigates how fermentation affects the chemical composition and biological functions of oats. Additionally, this manuscript presents some future perspectives on fermented oat products by discussing potential research directions and opportunities for further development. The findings presented in this review contribute to the expanding body of knowledge on fermented oats as a promising functional food, paving the way for future studies and applications in the field of nutrition and health.

Nutritional and Phytochemical Composition and Associated Health Benefits of Oat (Avena sativa) Grains and Oat-Based Fermented Food Products

Oats (Avena sativa L.) are a popular functional cereal grain due to their numerous health benefits. This review article summarized the information on the chemical composition and phytonutrients of oats grown in different countries. It also reviewed recently developed fermented oat products to highlight their potential for human health. Oats have an interesting nutritional profile that includes high-quality protein, unsaturated fats, soluble fiber, polyphenolic compounds, and micronutrients. Oat grain has a unique protein composition, with globulins serving as the primary storage protein, in contrast to other cereals, where prolamins are the main storage proteins. Oats have the highest fat content of any cereal, with low saturated fatty acids and high essential unsaturated fatty acid content, which can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Oats are a good source of soluble dietary fiber, particularly β-glucan, which has outstanding functional properties and is extremely important in human nutrition. β-Glucan has been shown to lower blood cholesterol and glucose absorption in the intestine, thereby preventing diseases such as cardiovascular injury, dyslipidemia, hypertension, inflammatory state, and type 2 diabetes. Oats also contain high concentration of antioxidant compounds. Avenanthramides, which are unique to oats, are powerful antioxidants with high antioxidative activity in humans. Recognizing the nutritional benefits of oats, oat-based fermented food products are gaining popularity as functional foods with high probiotic potential.

Applicable Strains, Processing Techniques and Health Benefits of Fermented Oat Beverages: A Review

Based on the high nutrients of oat and the demand of health-conscious consumers for value-added and functional foods, fermented oat beverages have great market prospects. This review summarizes the applicable strains, processing techniques and health benefits of fermented oat beverages. Firstly, the fermentation characteristics and conditions of the applicable strains are systematically described. Secondly, the advantages of pre-treatment processes such as enzymatic hydrolysis, germination, milling and drying are summarized. Furthermore, fermented oat beverages can increase the nutrient content and reduce the content of anti-nutritional factors, thereby reducing some risk factors related to many diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. This paper discusses the current research status of fermented oat beverages, which has academic significance for researchers interested in the application potential of oat. Future studies on fermenting oat beverages can focus on the development of special compound fermentation agents and the richness of their taste.

Optimization of nutritional and sensory properties of fermented oat-based composite beverage

Oat (Avena sativa) is well-known for its nutritional value and health-promoting properties. There are only a few oat-based value-added products on the market in Ethiopia, and this study attempted to develop a new product that is both nutritionally enhanced and sensory acceptable, therefore, the objective of this study was to optimize the nutritional and sensory properties of a beverage made from oat, lupine (Lupinus albus), stinging nettle (Urtica simensis), and premix. D-optimal mixture experimental design was used to generate 11 runs applying the following constraints: 60–70% toasted oat, 10–25% roasted and soaked de-bittered white lupine, 5–15% boiled stinging nettle leaves, and 10% premix (flour of toasted black cardamom (2.8%), malted wheat (2.8%), pumpkin (2.6%), spiced chili peppers (1.1%), and table salt (0.7%). Statistical model evaluation and optimization were carried out using Minitab 19 software. The nutritional composition of the product was assessed, and results show that increasing the proportion of oat flour in the blend resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) increase in fat, carbohydrate, gross energy, and mineral contents (Fe, Zn). An increase in lupine flour increased crude protein, crude fiber, gross energy, phytate, tannin, oxalate, and antinutrient to mineral molar ratios. In contrast increased in stinging nettle leaf powder increased the ash and beta-carotene contents. Sensory of 11 composite sample beverages and control (90% oat plus 10% premix) were also carried out by 50 untrained panelists. Consequently, eight responses were optimized: protein, fat, Fe, Zn, beta-carotene, taste, appearance, and overall acceptability. The optimal blending ratio obtained was 70% oats, 11.3% lupine, 8.7% stinging nettle flour, and 10.0% premix. The study's findings suggested that the optimal combination of these traditionally processed ingredients in a beverage can be considered a valuable food with the potential to improve diet quality.

Functional Fermented Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics from Non-Dairy Products: A Perspective from Nutraceutical

The current trend of health-conscious consumers and healthy food habits prompts researchers to explore developing food products with synbiotic benefits. Synbiotic foods have gained popularity in recent years due to their functional, nutritional, physiological, and therapeutic characteristics. Lactose intolerance, dyslipidemia, and allergic milk proteins become the barriers in the development of dairy probiotics. The present scenario of an increase in the demand for vegetarian products leads to a rise in the consumption of non-dairy probiotics. Prebiotics like, resistant starch, inulin, and polyphenols are selectively used by gut microbiota to enhance the selection and colonization of probiotics bacteria. Probiotic's action mechanisms include the production of bacteriocins, peptides, short-chain fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins, and other metabolites. Therefore, this review article explores the alternative sources of probiotics so it will help to an understanding of non-dairy based functional fermented foods for both pro and prebiotics. Dietary fibers in vegetables, fruits, and cereals are one of prospective prebiotics and highlighted the various methods for making non-dairy synbiotics based on dietary fibers, such as microencapsulation, freeze-drying, and spray drying is also addressed.

Development of probiotics beverage using cereal enzymatic hydrolysate fermented with Limosilactobacillus reuteri

Although most probiotic products are milk based, lactose intolerance and vegetarianism inspired the idea of developing nondairy probiotic products. In this study, probiotic beverages were produced from four enzymatically hydrolyzed cereal substrates (coix seed, quinoa, millet, and brown rice) and fermented by Limosilactobacillus reuteri. Fermentation parameters, including pH, titratable acidity, viable count, organic acids, and volatile components were determined. Results showed that the pH values decreased and titratable acidity increased with the fermentation process (p < .05). Although the final pH in all samples was below 4.0, the growth of L. reuteri was not significantly inhibited by low pH. The number of viable bacteria (12.96 log CFU/ml) in coix seed substrate was significantly higher than that in other samples after the fermentation for 24 h (p < .05). Lactic acid and acetic acid were the main organic acids after fermentation and the highest in quinoa (lactic acid: 7.58 mg/ml; acetic acid: 2.23 mg/ml). The flavor analysis indicated that there were differences in the flavor components of different cereal beverages. Forty‐nine volatile compounds were identified in four beverages, including acids, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and esters. The results of the electronic tongue showed that the umami taste of the fermented coix seed was better than that of other samples, displaying the more pleasant taste characteristics. In conclusion, it is feasible to prepare probiotic symbiotic cereal beverage with L. reuteri as starter culture. This study provides a reference for the development of nondairy probiotic products.

Oat Yogurts Enriched with Synbiotic Microcapsules: Physicochemical, Microbiological, Textural and Rheological Properties during Storage

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of synbiotic microcapsules on oat yogurt’s properties. For this study, four different microcapsules were added into the oat yogurt and the modifications were studied for 28 days. Microbiological analysis was used to analyze the effect of different factors on the microencapsulated probiotic population in the product. Those factors are: the technological process of obtaining microcapsules; the type of prebiotic chicory inulin (INU), oligofructose (OLI) and soluble potato starch (STH); the prebiotic concentrations in the encapsulation matrix; the technological process of obtaining yogurt; and the yogurt storage period, gastric juice action and intestinal juice action. The experimental data show that oat yogurt containing synbiotic microcapsules has similar properties to yogurt without microcapsules, which illustrates that the addition of synbiotic microcapsules does not change the quality, texture or rheological parameters of the product. Oat yogurt with the addition of synbiotic microcapsules can be promoted as a functional food product, which, in addition to other beneficial components (bioactive compounds), has in its composition four essential amino acids (glycine, valine, leucine and glutamine acids) and eight non-essential amino acids (alanine, serine, proline, asparagine, thioproline, aspartic acid, glutamic acid and α-aminopimelic acid). After 28 days of storage in refrigerated conditions, the cell viability of the microcapsules after the action of the simulated intestinal juice were: 9.26 ± 0.01 log10 cfu/g, I STH (oat yogurt with synbiotic microcapsules—soluble potato starch); 9.33 ± 0.01 log10 cfu/g, I INU, 9.18 ± 0.01 log10 cfu/g, I OIL and 8.26 ± 0.04 log10 cfu/g, IG (oat yogurt with microcapsules with glucose). The new functional food product provides consumers with an optimal number of probiotic cells which have a beneficial effect on intestinal health.

Narrowing down the number of potential plant-based probiotic candidates by successive in vitro, technological and in vivo assays

The interest on plant-based fermented food is in raise in Western countries. The aim of this study was to select interleukin (IL)-10 inducing strains for the development of potential probiotic plant-based fermented foods. Departing from a collection of 52 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains derived from plant material, in vitro co-culture with murine macrophages allowed us to narrow down the number of candidates to 21 strains able to induce IL-10 secretion. 14 of these strains were able to promote the production of tumour necrosis factor-α too. The capacity to induce IL-6 was used to further reduce the number of strains to 4, from which Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum LpAv was selected to ferment oat and carrots. L. plantarum LpAv was able to ferment oat and carrots until reaching counts of ca. 10⁸ and 10⁹ cfu/ml. Fermented oat and carrots were orally administered to mice for 10 consecutive days and challenged with a single infective dose of Salmonella enterica serovar. Typhimurium. Counts of L. plantarum LpAv in fermented carrots were 9.23±0.05 cfu/ml and 9.27±0.01 cfu/ml, at day 1 and 10 of the feeding period. Fermented carrots were able to confer enhanced protection (80% of survival) against infection, when compared to control mice (less than 25% of survival). However, L. plantarum LpAv administered as pure culture was not able to confer protection against Salmonella infection. L. plantarum LpAv was selected among 52 plant-derived LAB and it was able to ferment oat and carrots, being only fermented carrots able to confer enhanced protection against Salmonella infection. A succession of in vitro to in vivo tests is proposed as a tool to narrow down the number of candidates when searching for potential novel probiotics from a collection of autochthonous strains.

Effects of Steaming, Microwaving, and Hot-Air Drying on the Physicochemical Properties and Storage Stability of Oat Bran

Oat bran is a nutrient-dense, resource-rich byproduct that is produced from oat milling. Oxidative deterioration is the main reason that limits the utilisation of oat bran. Thus, improving the storage stability of oat bran has become an urgent requirement. This study aimed to investigate the inhibition of oat bran deterioration via steaming, microwaving, and hot-air drying treatments and the effects of these methods on oat bran physicochemical properties and storage stability. Results indicated that, after the three heating treatments, the solubility of oat bran increased and the powder fluidity showed no significant change ( $P<0.05$ ). Steam-treated oat bran demonstrated increased initial gelatinisation temperature, peak temperature, and enthalpy, significantly reduced peak viscosity, trough viscosity, breakdown value, final viscosity, and setback value, and significantly improved thermal stability ( $P<0.05$ ). During accelerated storage, oat bran samples subjected to the three heat treatments showed increased sensory scores and L ${}^{\ast }$ , a ${}^{\ast }$ , and b ${}^{\ast }$ values, whereas due to the decrease of lipase activity in oat bran, their fatty acid values and malondialdehyde content increased slowly and were always lower than those of unprocessed oat bran. All three heat treatments could improve the storage stability and the quality deterioration of oat bran during storage due to oil oxidation. Steaming had the most significant effect.

Functional Exploitation of Carob, Oat Flour, and Whey Permeate as Substrates for a Novel Kefir-Like Fermented Beverage: An Optimized Formulation

This study investigated the fortification of a carob-based kefir-like beverage (KLB) with whey permeate (WP) and oat flour (OF). The response surface method was used to show the effect of WP and OF concentrations on lactic acid bacteria and yeast cell densities, pH, total titratable acidity (TTA), total phenolics content (TCP), DPPH radical scavenging activity, and overall acceptability (OA) in KLB. The statistical design provided thirteen formulations where OF concentration varied from 3% to 5% and WP from 10% to 15%. The enrichment of carob pods decoction with WP and OF had a positive effect on biomass production. Overall fermentation was shown to increase TPC of KLB. Furthermore, OF supplementation led to the higher levels of TPC and antiradical activity. WP negatively affected OA at linear and quadratic levels, whereas no effect of OF was observed at the linear level. The optimum point was found by using WP at 11.51% and OF at 4.77%. Optimized KLB resulted in an enrichment of bioavailable phenolics derivatives and highly digestible proteins.

Production and Characterization of a Novel Gluten-Free Fermented Beverage Based on Sprouted Oat Flour

This study investigates the use of sprouted oat flour as a substrate to develop a novel gluten-free beverage by fermentation with a probiotic (Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1) starter culture. Physicochemical, microbiological, nutritional and sensory properties of sprouted oat fermented beverage (SOFB) were characterized. After fermentation for 4 h, SOFB exhibited an acidity of 0.42 g lactic acid/100 mL, contents of lactic and acetic acids of 1.6 and 0.09 g/L, respectively, and high viable counts of probiotic starter culture (8.9 Log CFU/mL). Furthermore, SOFB was a good source of protein (1.7 g/100 mL), β-glucan (79 mg/100 mL), thiamine (676 μg/100 mL), riboflavin (28.1 μg/100 mL) and phenolic compounds (61.4 mg GAE/100 mL), and had a high antioxidant potential (164.3 mg TE/100 mL). Spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms were not detected in SOFB. The sensory attributes evaluated received scores higher than 6 in a 9-point hedonic scale, indicating that SOFB was well accepted by panelists. Storage of SOFB at 4 °C for 20 days maintained L. plantarum viability and a good microbial quality and did not substantially affect β-glucan content. SOFB fulfils current consumer demands regarding natural and wholesome plant-based foods.

Characterization of pH sensitive sago starch films enriched with anthocyanin-rich torch ginger extract

The development of intelligent packaging based on natural and biodegradable resources is getting more attention by researchers in recent years. The aim of this study was to develop and characterize a pH-sensitive films based on sago starch and incorporated with anthocyanin from torch ginger. The pH-sensitive films were fabricated by casting method with incorporation of different torch ginger extract (TGE) concentration. The surface morphology, physicochemical, barrier, and mechanical properties as well as the pH-sensitivity of films were investigated. The film with the highest concentration of TGE showed the lowest tensile strength (4.26 N/m²), toughness (2.54 MJ/m³), Young's modulus (73.96 MPa) and water vapour permeability (2.6 × 10^-4 g·m/day·kPa·m²). However, its elongation at break (85.14%), moisture content (0.27%) and water solubility (37.92%) were the highest compared to other films. pH sensitivity analysis showed that the films containing TGE extract, changes in colour by changing the pH. The colour of films changed from pink to slightly green as the pH increased from pH 4 to 9. Thus, the developed pH-sensitive film with torch ginger extract has potential as intelligent packaging for detection of food freshness or spoilage to ensure their quality and safe consumption.

Non-Dairy Fermented Beverages as Potential Carriers to Ensure Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Bioactive Compounds Arrival to the Gut and Their Health Benefits

In alignment with Hippocrates' aphorisms "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food" and "All diseases begin in the gut", recent studies have suggested that healthy diets should include fermented foods to temporally enhance live microorganisms in our gut. As a result, consumers are now demanding this type of food and fermented food has gained popularity. However, certain sectors of population, such as those allergic to milk proteins, lactose intolerant and strict vegetarians, cannot consume dairy products. Therefore, a need has arisen in order to offer consumers an alternative to fermented dairy products by exploring new non-dairy matrices as probiotics carriers. Accordingly, this review aims to explore the benefits of different fermented non-dairy beverages (legume, cereal, pseudocereal, fruit and vegetable), as potential carriers of bioactive compounds (generated during the fermentation process), prebiotics and different probiotic bacteria, providing protection to ensure that their viability is in the range of 106-107 CFU/mL at the consumption time, in order that they reach the intestine in high amounts and improve human health through modulation of the gut microbiome.

Microbial diversity analysis of jiaoke from Xilingol, Inner Mongolia

Jiaoke is a traditional Mongolian fermented dairy product that is nutritious and has a unique taste. It is made from the fat separated from fermented milk. In this study, we collected 24 jiaoke samples from the Xilingol region of Inner Mongolia. The microbiota composition of the collected samples was analyzed using 16S rRNA small-molecule real-time sequencing, and the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) population was enumerated and isolated by laboratory culture techniques. We used an electronic tongue device to assess the taste quality of the products. One hundred fifty LAB isolates (5 genera and 14 species) were recovered and identified by 16S rRNA sequencing across all samples. Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus plantarum accounted for 51.33% and 10.67% of the total isolates, respectively. The small-molecule real-time sequencing of full-length 16S rRNAs revealed an overall bacterial microbiota composition of 10 phyla, 121 genera, and 186 species, largely represented by sequences of Lactococcus (68.46%) and Lactococcus lactis (52.92%) at the genus and species levels, respectively. The electronic tongue analysis revealed that the sweetness, bitterness, sourness, and saltiness of jiaoke varied greatly between samples. The presence of Lactococcus lactis correlated positively with bitter aftertaste; the presence of Lactococcus piscium correlated positively with umami and negatively with astringent and bitter aftertastes; and the presence of Lactobacillus helveticus correlated positively with sourness and negatively with other taste qualities. These results suggest that the microbiota composition and product taste are closely related. The novel LAB strains collected in this work represent valuable natural microbial resources.

Review on Non-Dairy Probiotics and Their Use in Non-Dairy Based Products

Consumer demands for foods promoting health while preventing diseases have led to development of functional foods that contain probiotic bacteria. Fermented dairy products are good substrates for probiotic delivery, but the large number of lactose intolerant people, their high fat and cholesterol content and also due to the growing vegetarianism the consumers are seeking for alternatives. Therefore, researches have been widely studied the feasibility of probiotic bacteria in non-dairy products such as fruits, vegetables, and cereals. This review describes the application of probiotic cultures in non-dairy food products.

Techno-Functional Role of Exopolysaccharides in Cereal-Based, Yogurt-Like Beverages

This review describes the technical and functional role of exopolysaccharides (EPSs) in cereal-based, yogurt-like beverages. Many microorganisms produce EPSs as a strategy for growing, adhering to solid surfaces, and surviving under adverse conditions. In several food and beverages, EPSs play technical and functional roles. Therefore, EPSs can be isolated, purified, and added to the product, or appropriate bacteria can be employed as starter cultures to produce the EPSs in situ within the matrix. The exploitation of in situ production of EPSs is of particular interest to manufacturers of cereal-base beverages aiming to mimic dairy products. In this review, traditional and innovative or experimental cereal-based beverages, and in particular, yogurt-like beverages are described with a particular focus in lactic acid bacteria (LAB’s) EPS production. The aim of this review is to present an overview of the current knowledge of exopolysaccharides produced by lactic acid bacteria, and their presence in cereal-based, yogurt-like beverages.