Abstract
As the production and maintenance of a sufficient number of microencapsulated probiotics is still a test for the food industry, the present study addressed the testing of three prebiotics: chicory inulin, soluble potato starch, oligofructose and a control carbon source, namely glucose, as a component part of the encapsulation matrix. Using the extrusion encapsulation technique, it was possible to obtain microcapsules whose matrix composition and dimensions correspond to the requirements of the food industry. The microcapsules obtained showed significantly different physicochemical properties, with different survival rates during processing, storage and in simulated gastrointestinal conditions. The encapsulation efficiency was very high in relation to the dimensions of the microcapsules and the technique used (between 87.00–88.19%). The microcapsules obtained offered a very good viability (between 8.30 ± 0.00–9.00 ± 0, 02 log10 cfu/g) during the 30 days of storage at 2–8 degrees and also in the simulated gastrointestinal conditions (between 7.98–8.22 log10 cfu/g). After 30 days, the lowest viability was registered in the microcapsules with glucose 6.78 ± 0.15 log10 cfu/g. It was found that after 4 h of action of gastrointestinal juices on the microcapsules stored for 30 days, cell viability falls within the limits recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (106–107 CFU/mL or g of food. This study demonstrated that using prebiotic encapsulation matrix increases cell viability and protection and that the extrusion encapsulation method can be used in the production of probiotic microcapsules for the food industry.
Highlights
IntroductionA growing interest has been observed in the importance of the intestinal microbiota in human health
In contemporary scientific literature, a growing interest has been observed in the importance of the intestinal microbiota in human health
This study offers data about the effect of prebiotics in the sodium alginate microencapsulation process, information regarding the efficiency of the encapsulation process, as well as data about the biomass viability during storage for 30 days at 4 ◦C and during gastrointestinal simulation tests after encapsulation and storage
Summary
A growing interest has been observed in the importance of the intestinal microbiota in human health. According to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) [4] “The content of live cells in the portion of the food recommended for daily consumption should be 109 CFU/daily portion until the end of the product shelf-life, at the specified storage conditions, with uncertainty of 0.5 log”. It is important to note that the minimum number of live probiotic cells recommended to provide benefits to the host in the intestine is 106–107 CFU/mL or g of food. It has been found that probiotic cultures in many foods are no longer, at the end of the storage period, in the optimal number to support the health of the consumer [5,6,7,8,9,10]
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have