A novel multiple plant-based milk alternative containing various preprocessed grains achieves better performance in protein digestibility and free amino acid profile via in vitro gastrointestinal digestion analysis

Plant-based milk alternatives are sustainable, hypoallergenic, and nutrient-rich, but challenges related to their lower bioavailability compared with animal-based milk still exist. In this study, we developed a multiple plant-based milk alternative using germinated soybeans and fermented cereals, and compared the protein digestible behaviors with commercial soy and bovine milk via in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The multiple plant-based milk alternative possessed a higher level of essential amino acids and amino acid scores than the soy milk and a smaller percentage of low-molecular-weight peptides than the bovine milk. It displayed better protein-digestible responses with no apparent gastric coagulation. Moreover, the relatively larger particles in the multiple plant-based milk alternative had few effects on protein digestibility, with the highest proteolytic degree and a better free amino acid profile. The findings suggest that the multiple plant-based milk alternative presents higher protein digestibility behavior, and it could be a promising industrial plant-based product.