Survival of free and microencapsulated Bifidobacterium: effect of honey addition

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of honey addition on the viability of free and emulsion encapsulated cells of two strains of Bifidobacterium that underwent simulation of human upper gastrointestinal transit. In the control condition, without honey, free cells were drastically reduced after exposure to gastrointestinal conditions. The reduction was more pronounced with Bifidobacterium J7 of human origin. On the other hand, when cells were encapsulated, the viability reduction was higher for strain Bifidobacterium Bb12. The microencapsulation improved the viability maintenance of both Bifidobacterium strains, in recommended amounts for probiotic activity, after exposure to simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Moreover, suspending free cells of both Bifidobacterium strains in honey solutions resulted in a protective effect, equivalent to the plain microencapsulation with sodium alginate 3%. It is concluded that microencapsulation and the addition of honey improved the ability of Bifidobacterium to tolerate gastrointestinal conditions in vitro.

• Emulsion encapsulating
• honey addition
• probiotic

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Dr Carlos Wanderley Piler de Carvalho, EMBRAPA, Food National Research Center, Rio de Janeiro, for the scanning electron microscopy of the microcapsules.

Declaration of interest

This work received financial support from CAPES (Coordination of Training of Higher Education Graduate Foundation).