Multiple‐strain Lactobacillus‐fermented soymilk with antioxidant capacity and delicate flavour

Summary Soymilk is a high‐quality fermentation substrate, but its flavour is not accepted by many consumers. In this study, soymilk was fermented under different fermentation conditions by different Lactobacillus strains. The antioxidant activity of the soymilk was explored using TOPSIS and the changes in flavour during fermentation were investigated by e‐nose using PCA. The results of TOPSIS showed that Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) ranked first (0.734) and L . acidophilus (LA) ranked second (0.651). In addition, L. bulgaricus (LB) was the only strain that could increase ABTS antioxidant activity (by around 11%). The LP, LA and LB mixed fermentation sample (w/w/w, 1 : 1 : 1) provided 10 new kinds of flavour compounds and stronger antioxidant ability than the unfermented sample. In addition, storage at 4 °C after fermentation elicited beneficial changes in the content of key flavour substances. Therefore, multiple‐strain Lactobacillus ‐fermentation of soymilk not only improved the antioxidant activity but also provided a delicate flavour.