Improving the properties of coconut milk-based functional drink with lactic acid bacteria fermentation and addition of herbal leaf

Muspirah Djalal (Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Hasanuddin University, 90245 Tamalanrea, Makassar, Indonesia)
Dinda Amalia (Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Hasanuddin University, 90245 Tamalanrea, Makassar, Indonesia)
Adila Oktavia (Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Hasanuddin University, 90245 Tamalanrea, Makassar, Indonesia)
Mulyati M Tahir (Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Hasanuddin University, 90245 Tamalanrea, Makassar, Indonesia)
Arfina Sukmawati Arifin (Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Hasanuddin University, 90245 Tamalanrea, Makassar, Indonesia)
Serli Hatul Hidayat (Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Hasanuddin University, 90245 Tamalanrea, Makassar, Indonesia)
Prakoso Adi (International Doctoral Program in Agriculture, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung City, Taiwan)
Nurul Wakiah (Agricultural Product Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Sulawesi Barat University, 91413 Majene, Indonesia)

Canrea Journal: Food Technology, Nutritions, and Culinary Journal
VOLUME 8 ISSUE 2, DECEMBER 2025

Coconut milk possesses potential as promising plant-based milk, alternative to animal milk. With the incorporation of bioactive-rich herbal leaves in combination with fermentation, the coconut milk presents an opportunity for better functional attributes, particularly antioxidant and antibacterial activities. This research investigates the effects of fermentation (lactic acid bacteria (culture)-mediated and spontaneous) and the addition of herbal leaves (cassava, bay, and guava) on the physicochemical and biofunctional properties of coconut milk drinks. Besides analysing antioxidant and antibacterial activities, other parameters analysed in this study include pH, total acidity, soluble solids (°Brix), total dissolved solids (ppm), and viscosity. This study finds that fermentation significantly reduced pH and the soluble solids (°Brix) while increasing total acidity, viscosity, and dissolved solids (ppm). It was also found that both fermentation and the addition of herbal leaves had significant effect on the biofunctional properties of the coconut milk drink in which they are found to enhance the antioxidant activity, with guava leaves exhibiting the highest enhancement. Particularly in guava-enriched formulations, the antibacterial properties were found to increase after fermentation demonstrating notable efficacy against E. coli (up to 7.03 mm) and S. aureus (up to 8.37 mm). This finding underscores the potential of fermentation in combination with herbal leaves to enhance the potential of plant-based milk.