Abstract
Thanks to the beneficial properties of probiotic bacteria, there exists an immense demand for their consumption in probiotic foods worldwide. Nevertheless, it is difficult to retain a high number of viable cells in probiotic food products during their storage and gastrointestinal transit. Microencapsulation of probiotic bacteria is an effective way of enhancing probiotic viability by limiting cell exposure to extreme conditions via the gastrointestinal tract before releasing them into the colon. This research aims to develop a new coating material system of microencapsulation to protect probiotic cells from adverse environmental conditions and improve their recovery rates. Hence, Lactobacillus rhamnosus was encapsulated with emulsion/internal gelation techniques in a calcium chloride solution. Alginate–probiotic microbeads were coated with xanthan gum, gum acacia, sodium caseinate, chitosan, starch, and carrageenan to produce various types of microcapsules. The alginate+xanthan microcapsules exhibited the highest encapsulation efficiency (95.13 ± 0.44%); they were simulated in gastric and intestinal juices at pH 3 during 1, 2, and 3 h incubations at 37 °C. The research findings showed a remarkable improvement in the survival rate of microencapsulated probiotics under simulated gastric conditions of up to 83.6 ± 0.89%. The morphology, size, and shape of the microcapsules were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. For the protection of probiotic bacteria under simulated intestinal conditions; alginate microbeads coated with xanthan gum played an important role, and exhibited a survival rate of 87.3 ± 0.79%, which was around 38% higher than that of the free cells (49.4 ± 06%). Our research findings indicated that alginate+xanthan gum microcapsules have a significant potential to deliver large numbers of probiotic cells to the intestines, where cells can be released and colonized for the consumer’s benefit.
Highlights
The recent decades have witnessed an increased interest in functional food and nutrition, as well as their impact on human health
We aimed to evaluate the effect of different coating materials on the efficiency and survivability of alginate-encapsulated Lactobacillus rhamnosus under different pH, temperature, NaCl, and simulated digestive system conditions
The results proved that the application of probiotic microencapsulation is possible through a modified emulsion process
Summary
The recent decades have witnessed an increased interest in functional food and nutrition, as well as their impact on human health. When administered in adequate amounts, the probiotic organisms confer their health benefits through inhibition of pathogen growth by blocking the adhesion sites of pathogenic bacteria while maintaining health-promoting gut microflora [2,5]. These living bacteria have the capacity of controlling intestinal infection, regulating serum cholesterol levels, boosting the host’s immune system, and improving lactose utilization in persons who have suffered from lactose malabsorption. They show a positive impact on suppressing colon cancer and irritable bowel syndrome [6,7]
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