*Article* **Design of a New Fermented Beverage from Medicinal Plants and Organic Sugarcane Molasses via Lactic Fermentation**

**Hamza Gadhoumi 1,2,\*, Maria Gullo 3, Luciana De Vero 3, Enriqueta Martinez-Rojas 4, Moufida Saidani Tounsi <sup>2</sup> and El Akrem Hayouni <sup>2</sup>**


**Abstract:** Functional beverages obtained using medicinal plants and fermented with lactic acid bacteria are gaining much interest from the scientific community, driven by the growing demand for food and beverages with beneficial properties. In this work, three different batches of medicinal plants and organic sugarcane molasses, named FB-lc, FB-sp and FB-lcsp, were prepared and fermented by using *Lactobacillus acidophilus* ATCC 43121, *Bifidobacterium breve* B632 and a mix of both strains' culture, respectively. The three fermented beverages revealed a high level of polyphenols (expressed as gallic acid equivalent), ranging from 182.50 to 315.62 μg/mL. The highest content of flavonoids (152.13 μg quercetin equivalent/mL) and tannins (93.602 μg catechin equivalent/mL) was detected in FB-lcsp trial. The IR spectroscopy analysis showed a decrease in sugar (pyranose forms, D-glucopyranose and rhamnosides). In addition, the aromatic compounds of the fermented beverages, detected by GC-MS headspace analysis, showed twenty-four interesting volatile compounds, which could give positive aroma attributes to the flavor of the beverages. The highest antioxidant activity was observed in the beverage obtained by the mix culture strains. Accordingly, the production of these beverages can be further investigated for considering their well-being effects on human health.

**Keywords:** lactic fermentation; functional beverages; volatile compounds; antioxidant activity
