Probiotic Powder Research Articles

Enhanced survival of spray-dried microencapsulated Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in the presence of glucose

The survival of spray dried Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) preparations encapsulated in whey protein isolate (WPI)–maltodextrin, WPI–maltodextrin–glucose, WPI–inulin, and WPI–inulin–glucose mixtures during storage at 25°C (11%, 57% and 70% relative humidity, RH) was examined. The glass transition temperature of each encapsulant formulation was also assessed. RH was most important for maintaining viability over time; the inclusion of glucose improved viability, irrespective of when all formulations were in a glassy or rubbery state. When LGG microcapsule powders were stored at the same RH, the addition of glucose in the encapsulant formulation had a greater influence on survival of LGG during storage than the maintenance of a glassy state. Both the maintenance of a glassy state during storage and the incorporation of glucose in the encapsulant formulation were required for optimal survival of probiotic microcapsule powders prepared from fresh cultures. Practical significanceThe incorporation of glucose into the encapsulant formulation prior to spray drying of protein-carbohydrate based LGG formulations improves the survival of LGG during long term storage.

The ProPrems trial: investigating the effects of probiotics on late onset sepsis in very preterm infants

BackgroundLate onset sepsis is a frequent complication of prematurity associated with increased mortality and morbidity. The commensal bacteria of the gastrointestinal tract play a key role in the development of healthy immune responses. Healthy term infants acquire these commensal organisms rapidly after birth. However, colonisation in preterm infants is adversely affected by delivery mode, antibiotic treatment and the intensive care environment. Altered microbiota composition may lead to increased colonisation with pathogenic bacteria, poor immune development and susceptibility to sepsis in the preterm infant.Probiotics are live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts confer health benefits on the host. Amongst numerous bacteriocidal and nutritional roles, they may also favourably modulate host immune responses in local and remote tissues. Meta-analyses of probiotic supplementation in preterm infants report a reduction in mortality and necrotising enterocolitis. Studies with sepsis as an outcome have reported mixed results to date.Allergic diseases are increasing in incidence in "westernised" countries. There is evidence that probiotics may reduce the incidence of these diseases by altering the intestinal microbiota to influence immune function.Methods/DesignThis is a multi-centre, randomised, double blinded, placebo controlled trial investigating supplementing preterm infants born at < 32 weeks' gestation weighing < 1500 g, with a probiotic combination (Bifidobacterium infantis, Streptococcus thermophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis). A total of 1,100 subjects are being recruited in Australia and New Zealand. Infants commence the allocated intervention from soon after the start of feeds until discharge home or term corrected age. The primary outcome is the incidence of at least one episode of definite (blood culture positive) late onset sepsis before 40 weeks corrected age or discharge home. Secondary outcomes include: Necrotising enterocolitis, mortality, antibiotic usage, time to establish full enteral feeds, duration of hospital stay, growth measurements at 6 and 12 months' corrected age and evidence of atopic conditions at 12 months' corrected age.DiscussionResults from previous studies on the use of probiotics to prevent diseases in preterm infants are promising. However, a large clinical trial is required to address outstanding issues regarding safety and efficacy in this vulnerable population. This study will address these important issues.Trial registrationAustralia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ANZCTR): ACTRN012607000144415The product "ABC Dophilus Probiotic Powder for Infants®", Solgar, USA has its 3 probiotics strains registered with the Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen (DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures) as BB-12 15954, B-02 96579, Th-4 15957.

Optimization of Spray Drying of an Innovative Functional Food: Fermented Mixed Juice of Carrot and Watermelon

This work deals with formulation and drying of a newly developed functional food. A watermelon and carrot juice mixture in the ratio 70:30 by volume was fermented at 37°C with Lactobacillus acidophilus to produce an innovative non-dairy-based food formulation with good flavor and high nutritional value. Viable count, pH, titrable acidity, protein content, and reducing sugar were measured during fermentation. The probiotic juice was spray dried at air temperature of 120 to 160°C and flow rate of 2.0 to 5.0 mL/min. Maltodextrin concentration of 10 to 15% by weight was used as an additive. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the drying process conditions. Physical properties (e.g., moisture content, density, porosity, and yield), biological properties (e.g., viability and lycopene and beta carotene content), and solubility data were examined as the response variables. Elevated temperatures and longer exposure times at lower feed rate reduced viability and lycopene and beta carotene content of the dried powder. Increased atomization pressure increased the cohesiveness but decreased flowability of the dried powder because the particle size was lowered. The probiotic powder was further analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

Beneficial Effects of Probiotic Bifidobacterium and Galacto-Oligosaccharide in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis: A Randomized Controlled Study

Background/Aim: In previous studies, we described the beneficial effects of bifidobacteria-fermented milk in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Here, we examined the effects of a live Bifidobacterium breve strain Yakult, a probiotic contained in bifidobacteria-fermented milk, and galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) as synbiotics in UC patients. Methods: Forty-one patients with mild to moderate UC were assigned to two groups; one group was treated with the synbiotics and the other was not (control). The treatment group ingested 1 g of the probiotic powder (10⁹ CFU/g) three times a day, and 5.5 g of GOS once a day for one year. At the start and the end of this study, colonoscopic index and the amount of myeloperoxidase in a lavage solution were used as disease activity indices. Bacterial counts in the feces at the start and the end of this study were also examined. Results: After a one-year treatment with the synbiotics, the clinical status of the UC patients as assessed by colonoscopy, significantly improved. Furthermore, the amount of myeloperoxidase in the lavage also decreased in these patients after the synbiotic treatment. The synbiotics significantly reduced the fecal counts of Bacteroidaceae and fecal pH. Conclusion: Administration of live B. breve strain Yakult and GOS can improve the clinical condition of patients with UC. These results encouraged us to perform a large-scale randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Reconstitution conditions for dried probiotic powders represent a critical step in determining cell viability

Resuscitation of dried cultures represents a critical control point in obtaining active and effective probiotic strains. This study examined the effects of various rehydration conditions on the viability of Bifidobacterium longum NCC3001 and Lactobacillus johnsonii La1. Reconstitution conditions for these strains were optimized using a multivariate experimental design approach. Furthermore, using flow cytometry, the cell integrity was followed during reconstitution. By adjusting the pH, availability of a metabolizable sugar, reconstitution duration, powder matrix and ratio of powder to reconstitution solution, the recovery of Bif. longum NCC3001 and Lact. johnsonii La1 following reconstitution was increased eight- and two-fold, respectively, over standard reconstitution in maximum recovery diluent. It was shown that pH had a significant effect on the recovery of Bif. longum NCC3001 and Lact. johnsonii La1. The recovery of dried probiotic cultures is greatly dependent on the reconstitution conditions. The maximum recovery of 11.7 (10)log CFU g(-1) Bif. longum NCC3001 was achieved at 30-min reconstitution at pH 8, in the presence of 2% L-arabinose and a ratio of 1:100 of powder to diluent. Lact. johnsonii La1 showed highest recovery (9.3 (10)log CFU g(-1)) after reconstitution, when mixed with maltodextrin at pH 4. To achieve accurate viable probiotic numbers from dried probiotic cultures, the reconstitution conditions should be optimized for the strain used.

Performance of Single Comb White Leghorn Layers Fed with Aloe vera, Curcuma longa (Turmeric) and Probiotic

Two hundred and eighty commercial layer chicks belonging to single hatch were purchased from local hatchery, wing banded, weighed and randomly allotted into seven treatment groups with four replicates of ten chicks each. The chicks were reared in cages in a gable roofed, open sided house. All the chicks were provided with uniform floor, feeder and waterer space and were reared under standard management conditions throughout the experimental period. The experimental diet was formulated according to th e standards prescribed in Bureau of Indian Standards (B.I.S., 1992). The treatment groups were T -Control; 1 T -0.1% aloe vera; T -0.1% turmeric; T -0.1% probiotic; T -0.1% aloe vera + 0.1% turmeric; T -0.1% aloe vera 2 3 4 5 6 + 0.1% probiotic and T -0.1% turmeric + 0.1% probiotic powder. There was no significant difference in feed 7 consumption. Hen housed egg production, hen day egg production and return over feed cost differ significantly after 40 weeks of age during the experimental period. The overall mean per cent broken eggs differ significantly (p<0.05) among treatment groups but no significant difference was observed in overal l mean feed conversion ratio per dozen eggs during the experimental period.

Heat adaptation towards improve survival of Bifidobacterium longum BB536 during the spray drying of Sudanese fermented Medida

This study examined the survival of Bifidobacterium longum BB 536 following the spray drying and during the storage of Medida, a fermented Sudanese cereal porridge. Medida was produced using 225 g flour of two days malted brown rice; blended in 0.405 L distilled water and cooked in 1 L boiling water. 150 g skim milk was added followed by sterilization; and the mixture was inoculated with B. longum BB536 and incubated until the biomass reached approximately 9 Log CFU/ml. Spray drying inlet temperature was regulated at 160oC. The strain BB536 survivability at different outlet temperatures (95, 85, and 75oC), powder rehydration times (15 and 30 min) and mild heat adaptations (50 and 45oC) prior to spray drying were evaluated. The viable count at 95oC outlet temperature recorded only 2.48 Log CFU/g but improved to 4.28 ± 0.30 log CFU due to decrease outlet temperature to 85oC. Using 45oC heat adaptation for 30 min and 85oC outlet temperature, high viability of 7.82 ± 0.30 Log CFU/g meeting the requirement of probiotic foods was attained. Moreover, the population obtained did not reveal any significant cells reduction during 60 days refrigeration storage showing survivability maintenance of 88.31%. Therefore, the current investigation demonstrated that development of fermented probiotic Medida powder from malted brown rice flour is possible employing suitable outlet temperature and heat adaptation.

Effects of Bacillus subtilis var. natto and Saccharomyces cerevisiae mixed fermented feed on the enhanced growth performance of broilers

Bacillus subtilis var. natto N21 (Bac; for greater proteolytic capacity) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y10 (Sac; for greater acidic capacity) were applied to produce a 2-stage combined fermentation feed. This study investigated whether the enhancement of Bac+Sac fermented feed on broiler growth performance was due to the probiotics per se or due to the fermentation process. Trial 1 included 1-d-old broiler chicks (n =144) randomly assigned to control, water added (same as in the fermentation feed, 23%), and Bac+Sac fermented feed (FBac+Sac) treatments with 4 replicates. Trial 2 included 21-d-old broiler chickens (n = 12) assigned into control and FBac+Sac groups for a metabolic trial for nutrient availability. Trial 3 included 1-d-old male broiler chicks (n = 216) randomly assigned into 6 treatments with 3 replicates. Treatments included a control, Sac fermented feed (FSac), FBac+Sac, Bac powder (PBac), Sac powder (PSac), and Bac+Sac powder (PBac+Sac). The results from trial 1 showed that FBac+Sac increased BW and feed intake (P < 0.05) in 21- and 39-d-old chickens. The water-added group showed decreased BW, weight gain, and feed intake (P < 0.05). Trial 2 showed that FBac+ Sac increased gross energy availability (P < 0.05). Trial 3 showed that FBac+Sac increased 21- and 39-d-old BW and weight gain (P < 0.05). Diets supplemented with probiotic powder or fermented with Sac did not improve broiler growth performance (P > 0.05). The growth performance improvement of the FBac+Sac treatment was probably not due to the added water, probiotic powder inclusion, or through single-strain fermentation, but due to the 2-stage fermentation process using Bac and Sac strains.

Oral administration of Bifidobacterium longum prevents gut-derived Pseudomonas aeruginosa sepsis in mice

The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of probiotics on gut-derived sepsis caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in immunocompromised mice. After oral inoculation of P. aeruginosa, mice were treated with cyclophosphamide to induce leucopenia and translocation of the intestinal P. aeruginosa into blood, thereby producing gut-derived sepsis. In this model, administration of 1 x 10(9) CFU of Bifidobacterium longum strain BB536 for 10 days significantly (P < 0.01) increased the survival rate compared with groups of mice administered either with Bifidobacterium breve strain ATCC 15700 or excipients contained in the probiotic bacterial powder. Administration of B. longum significantly decreased viable counts of P. aeruginosa in the liver and blood compared with other groups. Culture of intestinal contents revealed a significantly lower viable count of P. aeruginosa in the jejunum of B. longum-treated mice compared with other groups of mice. Furthermore, in vitro data demonstrated that B. longum possessed apparently higher adherent activity to Caco-2 cell monolayers and significantly suppressed the adherence of P. aeruginosa to the monolayers of cells compared with other groups. Oral administration of B. longum protects mice against gut-derived sepsis caused by P. aeruginosa, and the effect may be due to interference of P. aeruginosa adherence to intestinal epithelial cells. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THIS STUDY: This study demonstrated that oral administration of B. longum BB536 is effective to protect against opportunistic infection with drug-resistant bacteria such as P. aeruginosa. The results suggest that probiotics may play an important role even in the immunocompromised patients.

Efficacy of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in acute watery diarrhoea of Indian children: A randomised controlled trial

To evaluate the role of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) as probiotic in acute watery diarrhoea (AWD). Hospital-based study. Randomised, controlled, blinded trial. All patients of AWD (n = 684) admitted over 1-year period were invited to participate in the study as per predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria and were randomised to intervention and control groups. After adequate rehydration the intervention group (n = 330) received ORS with probiotic powder containing 60 million cells of LGG, while the control group (n = 332) received ORS alone twice daily for a minimum period of 7 days or till diarrhoea ceased. During the study period all patients received ORS and/or IV fluids for ongoing losses, and nutritional supplementation. None of them received any antibiotic or antidiarrhoeal medication. After exclusion of 16 patients, 646 (323 in each arm) patients completed the study. The daily frequency and total duration of diarrhoea and vomiting and the length of hospital stay were studied. Data were analysed by SPSS-10 software. Statistical significance was calculated by Student's t-test and chi2-test. Rotavirus was isolated in 75.85%. There was no significant difference between treatment groups in the daily frequency or duration of diarrhoea or vomiting or in the length of hospital stay. No complication was observed from the use of LGG. LGG supplementation does not decrease the frequency and duration of diarrhoea and vomiting in children with AWD, and does not reduce hospital stay in these patients.

Anhydrobiotics: The challenges of drying probiotic cultures

There is accumulating clinical data supporting the role of probiotics in human health particularly in benefiting the immune system, strengthening the mucosal barrier and suppressing intestinal infection. Fermented and unfermented dairy products enriched with probiotic bacteria have developed into one of the most successful categories of functional foods. From a functional ingredient perspective, the generation of these live cultures in dried formats is particularly attractive, however, it does present challenges in terms of retaining probiotic functionality during powder manufacture and storage. Both freeze-dying and spray-drying can be used for manufacture of probiotic powders on a large-scale, however, both approaches expose the cultures to extreme environmental conditions. Methods of production of dried probiotic powders should be such that viability is maintained in the dried powders following manufacture, and storage to ensure that an adequate number of bacteria can be delivered in the final product. This review will focus on how this can be achieved through approaches such as optimizing drying technology, and the drying matrix, and by manipulating probiotic bacteria by classical (microbiological) or genetic approaches.

Bioavailability of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus in rats fed probiotic, prebiotic and synbiotic powder follow‐up infant formulas and their effect on physiological and nutritional parameters

AbstractThe effect of infant formulas supplemented with functional ingredients on calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and phosphorus (P) bioavailability was investigated in rats. Seven follow‐up infant formulas containing probiotics (Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bifidobacterium longum), prebiotics (galactooligosaccharides at 12, 50 and 100 g kg−1) or synbiotics (bifidobacteria and galactooligosacccharides) were administered to weanling rats for 30 days. A 3 day mineral balance was performed over three periods (8–10, 18–20 and 28–30 days) to monitor mineral apparent absorption and retention ratios and physiological and nutritional parameters. Feeding rats on infant formula‐based diets showed high feed efficiency (≥0.46). It was found that infant formulas supplemented with probiotics and/or prebiotics for 30 days increased Ca, Mg and P bioavailability in rats. Mineral apparent absorption and retention ratios were higher than 90% for Ca and P and 80% for Mg during the first balance period regardless of the infant formula used, but they decreased during the next two balance periods. Although it was not possible to select one infant formula as the best to improve mineral absorption, the 100 g kg−1 prebiotic and 50 and 100 g kg−1 synbiotic infant formulas were the most efficient at increasing Ca, Mg and P bioavailability compared with the control group. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry

Salmonella detection in probiotic products

The presence of large amounts of probiotic bacteria in a sample may interfere with the detection of undesirable microorganisms. To illustrate this, infant formula with various strains of probiotic bacteria and the corresponding probiotic culture powders and premixes were artificially contaminated with low levels of Salmonella. Recovery of Salmonella was generally very poor when the conventional pre-enrichment procedure using buffered peptone water (BPW) was applied. However, this problem was overcome by adding antimicrobial compounds to selectively suppress the growth and/or metabolic activity of the probiotic bacteria and increasing the buffering capacity of the pre-enrichment broth. It is recommended that these analytical constraints are already addressed during the development phase of new probiotic products.

A spray-dried culture for probiotic Cheddar cheese manufacture

Abstract Spray-dried probiotic milk powder was produced at pilot scale from 300 L of 20% (w/v) reconstituted skim milk containing a rifampicin resistant variant of the probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei NFBC 338 (Rif r ). During powder manufacture, air inlet and outlet temperatures of 175°C and 68°C, respectively, were used, which yielded a probiotic survival of 84.5%. The powder, which contained 1×10 9 cfu g −1 of Lb. paracasei NFBC 338 Rif r was used as an adjunct inoculum (at 0.1% w/v) during probiotic Cheddar cheese manufacture. Probiotic numbers were 2×10 7 cfu g −1 in the cheese on day 1 and grew to 7.7×10 7 cfu g −1 after 3 months of ripening, without adversely affecting cheese quality. The data demonstrate that probiotic spray-dried powder is a useful means of probiotic addition to dairy products, as this example for Cheddar cheese manufacture shows.

Direct in situ viability assessment of bacteria in probiotic dairy products using viability staining in conjunction with confocal scanning laser microscopy.

The viability of the human probiotic strains Lactobacillus paracasei NFBC 338 and Bifidobacterium sp. strain UCC 35612 in reconstituted skim milk was assessed by confocal scanning laser microscopy using the LIVE/DEAD BacLight viability stain. The technique was rapid (<30 min) and clearly differentiated live from heat-killed bacteria. The microscopic enumeration of various proportions of viable to heat-killed bacteria was then compared with conventional plating on nutrient agar. Direct microscopic enumeration of bacteria indicated that plate counting led to an underestimation of bacterial numbers, which was most likely related to clumping. Similarly, LIVE/DEAD BacLight staining yielded bacterial counts that were higher than cell numbers obtained by plate counting (CFU) in milk and fermented milk. These results indicate the value of the microscopic approach for rapid viability testing of such probiotic products. In contrast, the numbers obtained by direct microscopic counting for Cheddar cheese and spray-dried probiotic milk powder were lower than those obtained by plate counting. These results highlight the limitations of LIVE/DEAD BacLight staining and the need to optimize the technique for different strain-product combinations. The minimum detection limit for in situ viability staining in conjunction with confocal scanning laser microscopy enumeration was approximately 10(8) bacteria/ml (equivalent to approximately 10(7) CFU/ml), based on Bifidobacterium sp. strain UCC 35612 counts in maximum-recovery diluent.

Matrix -Related Stability and Viability of Microencapsulated Probiotics

We aimed to obtain and characterize (morphology, spectroscopy, viability) different types of microcapsules built with alginate or chitosan matrices which entrap Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus as probiotics. We used as matrices chitosan (CH) (1%, 1.5%, 2% w/v) and alginate (AG) (1%, 1.5%, 2% w/v) and the same percentage of probiotics (1mg/10ml matrix solution) to obtain microcapsules by coacervation. The concentration of AG and CH influenced the diameter, aspect, compactness of beads. Capsules of AG 1.5%, had the biggest area (4,1mm2) and diameter (2mm) while CH 2% had the smallest area (1.5 mm2) and diameter (2,1mm). As a complementary characterization the FTIR–HATR spectroscopy was able to fingerprint the free matrix, and encapsulated probiotics, identifying the specific markers located at 900-1100 cm-1(carbohydrates), 1560-1620 cm-1 (for sugar ring stretching) and a large band (for water) at 3100-3700 cm-1.The fingerprint of encapsulated probiotic is recognised by 2 signals identified at 2880 and 2920 cm-1. The most suitable matrices for probiotic encapsulation were established to be AG 2%, AG 1.5%.The viability of probiotic powder in culture was 109 ml-1 while in capsules the viability was 10 6 ml-1 . We can notice that capsules with AG 1.5% and CH 1.5% released more bacteria and the viability was higher then in AG 2% and CH 2%, respectively.