Background: For a probiotic to be viable it needs to be preserved at a recommended minimum level of 6–7 log10cfu/g in the product
 being consumed, as suggested by the International Dairy Federation. Different biopolymer matrices have been used for
 encapsulation of probiotic; however, loss of viability is still a challenge.
 Materials and Methods: Modified citrus pectin-alginate microbeads containing Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 was
 developed. Efficiency of the microbeads was evaluated in simulated conditions of the gastrointestinal tract and in Balb/c mice
 induced with colon tumor. Genomic identification of faecal lactobacilli samples from treated mice was also performed.
 Results: The Modified citrus pectin-alginate probiotic microbeads significantly enhanced the viability of Lactobacillus acidophilus
 ATCC 4356 compared to the control (p< 0.05) both in vitro and in vivo. Exposure of the modified citrus pectin-alginate microbeads
 to 3 hours of simulated gastric juice resulted in 82.7% survival of L. acidophilus ATCC 4356. Also, the number of faecal lactobacilli
 in the modified citrus pectin-alginate probiotic treated mice increased by 10.2% after 28 days.
 Conclusion: Modified citrus pectin-alginate is a novel effective means of oral delivery of bacterial cells and bioactive compounds.
 Modified citrus pectin-alginate can be used in probiotic therapy which may improve the prevention of colon cancer.