@article{article_1976421, title={Production of plant-based bioactive milk from germinated oat seeds}, journal={ITU Journal of Food Science and Technology}, volume={4}, pages={30–40}, year={2026}, url={https://izlik.org/JA77RJ35SN}, author={Dolutas, Doga and Tekin, Guney Kaan and Karabulut, Zekeriya and Karabulut, Gülşah}, keywords={Yulaf, bitkisel süt, biyoaktif, filizlenme, fonksiyonel süt.}, abstract={The growing demand for sustainable dairy alternatives has increased interest in oat milk with improved nutritional, functional, and sensory properties. This study investigated the effects of germination duration on the physicochemical characteristics, colloidal stability, bioactive profile, and sensory acceptability of oat milk. Oat seeds (Avena sativa L.) were germinated for 24, 48, and 72 h, and oat milk was prepared from germinated and ungerminated seeds under identical processing conditions. Samples were evaluated for pH, total soluble solids, particle size, zeta potential, physical stability, soluble protein content, total phenolic content (TPC), and DPPH radical scavenging activity. Sensory evaluation assessed appearance, color, smell, taste, mouthfeel, and overall acceptability. Germination improved colloidal stability, with zeta potential becoming more negative, shifting from −15 mV in the ungerminated control to −20 mV after 72 h. TPC increased from 7.83 to 11.45 mg GAE/100 mL, accompanied by an increase in DPPH radical scavenging activity from 6.31% to 8.33%. Soluble protein content also increased moderately, from 2.1 to 3.2 ppm, with increasing germination duration. Although germination improved appearance and color scores, it reduced smell, taste, and mouthfeel scores, indicating differences between visual appeal and other sensory attributes. Overall acceptability decreased after 24 and 48 h of germination, whereas the sample germinated for 72 h (YS72) remained comparable to the ungerminated control. These findings demonstrate the potential of germination as a pretreatment for improving oat milk stability and bioactive properties. The results also highlight the importance of selecting an appropriate germination duration to balance physicochemical improvements with sensory acceptability.}, number={2}