Evaluation of the Viability of Probiotic Microorganisms in Microcapsules with Passion Fruit Pulp Resulting From the Ionic Gelation Process

Abstract

One of the limiting factors of food probiotic microorganism’s addition consists in its viability. Several microencapsulation techniques were explored, the external ionic gelation proved to be viable in the preservation of probiotic cultures. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the ionic gelation process of passion fruit pulp with probiotics, in order to verify the storage time of these products when submerged in their own pulp and packaged in glass containers submitted to storage refrigerated. The product submitted shelf life of 60 days and the microorganism showed feasibility during the entire period of storage studied. It is then emphasized the viability of the ionic gelification of the passion fruit pulp, as the microcapsules obtained in this process present nutritional characteristics similar to the passion fruit pulp.