| Summary: | Probiotics are increasingly recognized for their cholesterol removal ability. Their vulnerability to harsh environmental factors during gastrointestinal transit and industrial processing remains a major challenge. This study addressed these issues by immobilizing Lactobacillus plantarum LAB12 within polymeric matrix comprised of sodium alginate (NaAlg), xanthan gum (XG) and chitosan (Ch) coating, with supplementation of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), another potential cholesterol reducing agent. LAB12 encapsulated in Alg-XG-β-CD-Ch exhibited excellent survivability (∼95%) at pH 1.8 with facilitated release (>9 log CFU/g) at pH 6.8. While minimizing the loss of viable microencapsulated LAB12 at 75 and 90°C, the microcapsules yielded viable counts >7 log CFU/g over a 4-week storage at 4°C. Cholesterol lowering effects of β-CD supplemented beads and LAB12 against total cholesterol from egg yolk were also studied. These findings implied the potential use of Alg-XG-β-CD-Ch as protective micro-transport for probiotics and additional means of cholesterol reduction. Practical Applications: The Alg-XG-β-CD-Ch beads yielded in this study exhibited characteristics of an ideal probiotic vehicle whereby they enhanced protection of free lactic acid bacteria (LAB) against harsh environments, facilitated targeted-cell release and conferred health benefits to the host upon consumption. The technical applications of this formulation include its use as heat- and pH-stable polymeric beads that carry L. plantarum LAB12 (the LAB model). The beads are acid tolerant (pH 1.8) under gastric conditions with the capability of targeted release at the large intestine (pH 6.8). In addition, it is also heat resistant, enabling microorganisms to survive at high temperature of up to 90°C (essential during product manufacturing). The bound β-CD within the formulation is also able to enhance the cholesterol reducing ability of the LAB. Alg-XG-β-CD-Ch have successfully widen the applications of probiotics especially in health, food and agro industries. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
|
|---|