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Abstract
Aim: To investigate whether microencapsulation of Lactobacillus in alginate microbeads will lead to increased longevity during refrigerated storage or simulated digestion.
Materials and methods: Microscopy was used to confirm that Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC BAA-793 and Lactobacillus johnsonii ATCC 33200 were immobilised within the microbeads and laser scattering analysis was used to determine the mean diameter of the microbeads. The number of viable cells were enumerated throughout refrigerated storage and simulated digestion experiments.
Results: Microencapsulation was shown to have differing effects on viability depending on the species, but led to extended viability during refrigerated storage and simulated digestion in L. johnsonii and L. plantarum respectively.
Conclusion: Fermented functional foods contain microbes beneficial to human health. However, extended shelf storage and the harsh environment of the GI tract significantly reduces the number of viable microbes reaching the consumer. Microencapsulation allows beneficial microbes to reach the gut of the consumer in higher numbers, and thus confer greater health benefits.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank various individuals at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Department of Food Science for their insight and technical assistance. Ezgi Özcan is specifically thanked for her assistance with statistical analysis. DAS thanks the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) for financial support under Grant SCB14056.
Disclosure statement
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.