Development and Shelf Life Evaluation of a Probiotic Fermented Beverage from Tiger Nut Milk Fortified with Moringa Powder in North Central Nigeria

Probiotic functional beverages represent a growing global market segment, yet the development of probiotic products from indigenous African substrates remains an underexplored research frontier. Tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus), widely cultivated in North Central Nigeria, yields a nutritious plant-based milk suitable as a fermentation substrate. This study developed and evaluated the shelf life of a probiotic fermented beverage produced from tiger nut milk fortified with Moringa oleifera leaf powder using Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum as starter cultures. Tiger nuts were sourced from Jos Market, Plateau State. Moringa powder was prepared from sun-dried leaves. Fermentation was conducted at 37 degrees Celsius for 16 hours. Shelf life assessment at refrigerated (4 degrees Celsius) and ambient (25 degrees Celsius) storage was conducted over six weeks. Parameters monitored included pH, titratable acidity, viable probiotic counts, viscosity, antioxidant activity, and sensory quality. Results showed that fermented tiger nut-moringa beverage maintained viable probiotic counts above the minimum therapeutic level of 10 to the power 6 cfu per ml for up to four weeks under refrigerated storage. Antioxidant activity was significantly higher in fortified samples throughout storage. Sensory acceptability declined sharply at ambient temperature after two weeks due to excessive acidification. Moringa fortification at 1 percent yielded the best balance of nutritional value and sensory acceptability. The study presents a promising probiotic functional beverage prototype for the Nigerian dairy-alternative market. Keywords: probiotic, tiger nut, Moringa, fermented beverage, shelf life.