## 3 Results
### Changes during Storage
#### 3.2.2 Viability of BB-12(r) and LGG(r) during Storage  
The growth of BB-12(r) and LGG(r) was evaluated through their viable cell count during storage. According to the results that are shown in Figure 2, all of the substrates were suitable for the growth of both probiotic strains. BB-12(r) CFU ranged from 1.8 \(\times\) 10\({}^{7}\) to 3.2 \(\times\) 10\({}^{8}\) log CFU/g (Graph A, Figure 2). This values are in line with the results that were obtained by [PERSON] et al., who reported BB-12(r) growth to be higher than 10\({}^{6}\) CFU/g in fermented cereal matrices (2019).  
There was a significant interaction between the base and the storage time as well as the culture combination. This indicates that different BB-12(r) CFU values at different time points or fermented with different cultures depend on the fermented base. BB-12(r) CFU were significantly different in the three bases. Highest values were reported in soy, followed by oat and lastly coconut. A reasonable  
Figure 2: Viable cell counts of (**A**) BB-12(r) and (**B**) LGG® in fermented (s) soy, (o) oat, and (c) coconut bases in day 1, 7, 14, and 21 of storage at 6\({}^{\circ}\)C. \({}^{ABC}\) Means with different uppercase superscripts indicate significant differences between different bases (\(p<0.05\)). \({}^{ab}\) Means with different lowercase superscripts indicate significant differences between different culture combinations (\(p<0.05\)). Because no significant difference between different cultures in each base was observed in the case of LGG® CFU, only uppercase superscripts are shown.  
explanation for this would be that _Bifidobacterium_ was able to metabolize sucrose and GOSs [70], which are present in the soy base, while it was not capable of degrading starch, the main carbon source in the oat base. The viable cell count of BB-12\({}^{\circledR}\) was significantly improved when BY-01 was combined with LGG\({}^{\circledR}\) only in oat samples. It was also observed that BB-12\({}^{\circledR}\) growth decreased over storage time. In fermented soy and coconut samples, LGG\({}^{\circledR}\) did not have any significant effect on BB-12\({}^{\circledR}\) growth.  
Regarding LGG\({}^{\circledR}\) viable cell count (Graph B, Figure 2), CFU values ranged from 5.7 \(\times\)10\({}^{-}\) to 6.2 \(\times\) 10\({}^{8}\) log CFU/g. These values correlate to the ones previously found in fermented cereal bases [66] and legume bases [53]. The only significant interaction was between the base and the storage time. This indicates that different LGG\({}^{\circledR}\) CFU at different time points depends on the fermented base. LGG\({}^{\circledR}\) growth in oat samples was significantly different to soy and coconut. A reasonable explanation may be LGG\({}^{\circledR}\)s preference for simple carbohydrates [71]. Carbohydrate content in oat was higher than in the other two bases [1]. Thus, LGG\({}^{\circledR}\) has access to a greater amount of sugars that can use as carbon source. YF-L01, YF-L02, and BY-01 did not show any significant difference between them when combined with LGG\({}^{\circledR}\), which indicates that none of them affected the growth of LGG\({}^{\circledR}\). The only exception was the sample that was fermented by YF-L02+LGG\({}^{\circledR}\) in soy samples, whose LGG\({}^{\circledR}\) CFU were higher in comparison to the other two combinations in day 14 and 21.  
All fermented samples showed BB-12\({}^{\circledR}\) and LGG\({}^{\circledR}\) CFU values above 10\({}^{7}\) CFU/g. This would suggest both strains as good candidates for probiotic plant-based alternatives to dairy.