Abstract: Fermenting different raw materials (corn, soybean meal and cottonseed meal) with three kinds of strains (Lactobacillus, yeast and Bacillus subtilis) were employed to optimize the fermentation parameter with sensory evaluation, pH and amount of probiotics retention.The results showed that the time to reach stable pH of materials with different substrates was different.Cottonseed meal had the longest time to reach stable pH followed by soybean meal, while corn had the shortest time under the condition of same water content.Different substrates had no effect on initial pH of corn, soybean meal and cottonseed meal.The count of the probiotics was also influenced by different substrates.When pH reached steady state, corn had the largest number of the probiotics followed by soybean meal and cottonseed meal.The color and smell of three materials after fermented had distinctive features.But cottonseed meal had the highest viscosity followed by soybean meal and corn.Because of shorter time and more microorganisms, corn was better than soybean meal and cottonseed meal to be fermenting medium.

Key words: material; fermentation; strain; pH; sensory index; residual probiotic