Survival of Bifidobacterium BB-12 microencapsulated with full-fat goat’s milk and prebiotics when exposed to simulated gastrointestinal conditions and thermal treatments

Membrane Emulsification as an Emerging Method for Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG® Encapsulation

Techniques capable of producing small-sized probiotic microcapsules with high encapsulation yields are of industrial and scientific interest. In this study, an innovative membrane emulsification system was investigated in the production of microcapsules containing Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG® (Lr), sodium alginate (ALG), and whey protein (WPI), rice protein (RPC), or pea protein (PPC) as encapsulating agents. The microcapsules were characterized by particle size distribution, optical microscopy, encapsulation yield, morphology, water activity, hygroscopicity, thermal properties, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and probiotic survival during in vitro simulation of gastrointestinal conditions. The innovative encapsulation technique resulted in microcapsules with diameters varying between 18 and 29 μm, and encapsulation yields > 93%. Combining alginate and whey, rice, or pea protein improved encapsulation efficiency and thermal properties. The encapsulation provided resistance to gastrointestinal fluids, resulting in high probiotic viability at the end of the intestinal phase (> 7.18 log CFU g-1). The proposed encapsulation technology represents an attractive alternative to developing probiotic microcapsules for future food applications.

Graphical Abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11947-023-03099-w.

Evaluation of Pediococcus acidilacticiAS185 as an adjunct culture in probiotic cheddar cheese manufacture

A novel probiotic Pediococcus acidilactici AS185, isolated from traditional Chinese fermented foods, was used as an adjunct culture for probiotic cheddar cheese production. The physicochemical composition, textural, free amino acids (FAAs), short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) profiles, sensory properties, and microbial survival, was evaluated during the 90-day ripening period. The addition of P. acidilactici AS185 did not influence the physicochemical composition of cheddar cheese but significantly decreased the hardness without affecting its textural profile. During ripening, P. acidilactici AS185 was able to grow and promote the generation of FAAs and SCFAs, but did not alter the overall sensory properties; it rather improved the flavor and taste of cheese. In addition, the cheese matrix protected strain P. acidilactici AS185 during transit throughout the simulated gastrointestinal system. These results demonstrated that P. acidilactici AS185 adjunct cultures might be useful for producing high-quality probiotic cheddar cheese.

Sheep Milk Symbiotic Ice Cream: Effect of Inulin and Apple Fiber on the Survival of Five Probiotic Bacterial Strains during Simulated In Vitro Digestion Conditions

We conducted a study to determine the survival of bacterial cells under in vitro digestion. For this purpose, ice cream mixes were prepared: control, with 4% inulin, 2.5% inulin and 1.5% apple fiber and 4% apple fiber. Each inoculum (pH = 4.60 ± 0.05), containing 9 log cfu g^-1 bacteria, at 5% (w/w) was added to the ice cream mixes (Lacticaseibacilluscasei 431, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei L-26, Lacticaseibacillusrhamnosus, Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12) and fermentation was carried out to pH 4.60 ± 0.05. The in vitro digestion method simulated the stages of digestion that occur in the mouth, stomach and small intestine under optimal controlled conditions (pH value, time and temperature). At each stage of digestion, the survival rate of probiotic bacteria was determined using the plate-deep method. As expected, in the oral stage, there was no significant reduction in the viability of the probiotic bacteria in any ice cream group compared to their content before digestion. In the stomach stage, Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12 strain had the highest viable counts (8.48 log cfu g^-1) among the control samples. Furthermore, a 4% addition of inulin to ice cream with Bifidobacterium BB-12 increased gastric juice tolerance and limited strain reduction by only 16.7% compared to the number of bacterial cells before digestion. Regarding ice cream samples with Bifidobacterium BB-12, replacing part of the inulin with apple fiber resulted in increased survival at the stomach stage and a low reduction in the bacterial population of only 15.6% compared to samples before digestion. At the stomach stage, the positive effect of the addition of inulin and apple fiber was also demonstrated for ice cream samples with Lacticaseibacilluscasei 431 (9.47 log cfu g^-1), Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 (8.06 log cfu g^-1) and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei L-26 (5.79 log cfu g^-1). This study showed the highest sensitivity to simulated gastric stress for ice cream samples with Lacticaseibacillusrhamnosus (4.54 log cfu g^-1). Our study confirmed that the 4% addition of inulin to ice cream increases the survival rate of L. casei and Bifidobacterium BB-12 in simulated intestinal juice with bile by 0.87 and 2.26 log cfu g^-1, respectively. The highest viable count in the small intestine stage was observed in ice cream with L. acidophilus. The addition of inulin increased the survival of L. rhamnosus by 10.8% and Bifidobacterium BB-12 by about 22% under conditions of simulated in vitro digestion compared to their control samples. The survival rates of L. casei and L. paracasei were also highly affected by the 4% addition of apple fiber, where the increase under gastrointestinal passage conditions was determined to range from 7.86-11.26% compared to their control counterparts. In comparison, the lowest survival rate was found in the control ice cream with L. rhamnosus (47.40%). In our study at the intestinal stage, only five ice cream groups: a sample with 4% inulin and L. acidophilus, a control sample with Bifidobacterium BB12, a sample with 2.5% inulin and 1.5% apple fiber with Bifidobacterium BB12, a control sample with L. rhamnosus, a sample with 4% fiber and L. rhamnosus reported bacterial cell counts below 6 log cfu g^-1 but higher than 5 log cfu g^-1. However, in the remaining ice cream groups, viable counts of bacterial cells ranged from 6.11 to 8.88 log cfu g^-1, ensuring a therapeutic effect. Studies have clearly indicated that sheep milk ice cream could provide a suitable matrix for the delivery of probiotics and prebiotics and contribute to intestinal homeostasis. The obtained results have an applicative character and may play an essential role in developing new functional sheep milk ice cream.

Bifidobacterium Treated by Electrostatic Spray Drying Relieved Constipation by Changing the Relative Abundance of Bacteria Associated With Gastrointestinal Regulatory Peptides

In this study, three different microencapsulation methods were used to embed Bifidobacterium to explore the alleviating effects of embedding methods on constipated mice. By measuring the defecation-related parameters, it was found that the Bifidobacteria treated by electrostatic spray drying had the best ability to relieved constipation. Furthermore, by detecting constipation-related gastrointestinal regulatory peptides, inflammatory factors, intestinal microbiota, and SCFAs, it was discovered that Bifidobacteria treated by electrostatic spray drying changed the composition of intestinal microbiota, especially the relative abundance of bacteria that were positively correlated with AQP3, but negatively correlated with ET-1 and SS, then increased the level of AQP3 in the intestine, and finally relieved constipation by increasing the fecal water content and small intestinal propulsion rate. In conclusion, the electrostatic spray drying method was superior to the other two methods in maintaining the activity of Bifidobacteria and relieved constipation by changing the relative abundance of bacteria that were correlated with gastrointestinal regulatory peptides and increasing the content of fecal water and small intestinal propulsion rate.

Bifidobacterium spp. as functional foods: A review of current status, challenges, and strategies

Members of Bifidobacterium are among the first microbes to colonize the human intestine naturally, their abundance and diversity in the colon are closely related to host health. Recently, the gut microbiota has been gradually proven to be crucial mediators of various metabolic processes between the external environment and the host. Therefore, the health-promoting benefits of Bifidobacterium spp. and their applications in food have gradually been widely concerned. The main purpose of this review is to comprehensively introduce general features, colonization methods, and safety of Bifidobacterium spp. in the human gut, highlighting its health benefits and industrial applications. On this basis, the existing limitations and scope for future research are also discussed. Bifidobacteria have beneficial effects on the host's digestive system, immune system, and nervous system. However, the first prerequisite for functioning is to have enough live bacteria before consumption and successfully colonize the colon after ingestion. At present, strain breeding, optimization (e.g., selecting acid and bile resistant strains, adaptive evolution, high cell density culture), and external protection technology (e.g., microencapsulation and protectants) are the main strategies to address these challenges in food application.

Encapsulated Bifidobacterium BB-12 addition in a concentrated lactose-free yogurt: Its survival during storage and effects on the product's properties

This work aims to manufacture a new concentrated lactose-free probiotic yogurt. For this purpose, the probiotic Bifidocaterium BB-12 was incorporated in a concentrated lactose-free yogurt, both in its free form and previously encapsulated. Previous cell encapsulation was performed using the spray-drying technique with the following wall materials: lactose-free milk, lactose-free milk and inulin, and lactose-free milk and oligofructose. Thus, three different probiotic powders were obtained and added separately to three fractions of concentrated lactose-free yogurt. The probiotic survival of both powders and yogurts was evaluated during refrigerated storage. Likewise, the viability of starter cultures in yogurt (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) was controlled. In addition, the physicochemical properties of the four yogurts were also measured (color, pH and acidity, and texture properties). All three powders showed good probiotic viability (>8 log CFU g^-1) throughout 120 days of storage at 4 °C. In turn, yogurt formulations (with the addition of powders or free bifidobacteria) presented probiotic viability above 7 log CFU g^-1 after storage; as well as the starter cultures (>8 log UFC g^-1). Yogurt with probiotic powder from lactose-free milk showed a more yellowish color; however, these differences would not be detected by the human eye (ΔE < 3.00). The yogurt with bifidobacteria free cells showed a greater post-acidification process (pH 4.18 to 4.02 and titratable acidity 1.52 to 1.89). It was not observed differences for firmness values of yogurt with free cells addition and yogurt with lactose-free milk and oligofructose powder addition. A slight significant decrease in the cohesiveness was observed in the yogurt elaborated with bifidobacteria free cells. The gumminess showed fluctuating values between all concentrated lactose-free yogurts. At the end of this study, we conclude that these probiotic powders can be incorporated into innovative lactose-free yogurts.

In vitro test to evaluate survival in the gastrointestinal tract of commercial probiotics

The search for functional foods grows constantly, and in this demand, the supply of industries that seek to produce and sell supplements also grows, as is the case of probiotics freely sold in pharmacies and supermarkets. Given a large number of foods with probiotic appeal and supplements sold without the need for a nutritional or medical prescription, this study came up to evaluate the viability of commercial probiotic cells, through in vitro gastrointestinal simulation and analyzing the information present in their labeling. Eleven commercial probiotic samples were analyzed, and viable cell counts were performed before and after in vitro simulation. These products usually use appealing labeling and induce the consumer to purchase these probiotics, which often do not offer the benefits described on the packaging. The results showed that only two samples had the initial concentration indicated on their labeling and four samples offered a concentration of 3 log CFU g⁻¹ in the ileum portion. All samples had a reduction in concentration during the gastrointestinal simulation, which varied from 1 to 4 log CFU g⁻¹, but most do not fulfill the offer of a probiotic supplement, and there should be more inspection and control over the commercialization of this product niche.

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Of eleven probiotics analyzed, only two were in accordance with their labeling.

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Only six probiotics showed an initial concentration above 8 log CFU g-1.

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After gastrointestinal simulation, six probiotics showed viability greater than 6 log CFU g-1.

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Probiotic fermented milk and microorganisms protected by capsules showed the best results.

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Technologies are needed that contribute to maintaining probiotic viability in storage and digestion.

Impact of a Novel Nano-Protectant on the Viability of Probiotic Bacterium Lactobacillus casei K17

Probiotics are considered as desirable alternatives to antibiotics because of their beneficial effects on the safety and economy of farm animals. The protectant can ensure the viability of probiotics, which is the prerequisite of the beneficial effects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a novel nano-protectant containing trehalose, skim milk powder, phytoglycogen nanoparticles, and nano-phytoglycogen Pickering emulsions on the viability of Lactobacillus casei K17 under different conditions. The results indicated that the optimal concentration of the carbohydrate substrate was determined to be 10% skim milk powder (w/w) instead of trehalose. The combination of 10% skim milk powder (w/w), 1% phytoglycogen nanoparticles (w/w), and 10% Pickering emulsions (w/w) was selected as the optimal component of the protectant. Trilayer protectants with an optimal component had a more significant protective effect on the bacteria than that of the monolayer and bilayer protectants, or the control in feed storage, freeze-drying, and simulated gastrointestinal environment. A scanning electron microscope was used to monitor the morphological characteristics of the protectants for different layers on L. casei. In conclusion, the trilayer protectant exhibited a substantial effect on L. casei during storage and consumption, which could be used in the feed and functional food.

Potential Pharmaceutical and Food Applications of Postbiotics: A Review

In recent decades, functional foods with ingredients comprising probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics have been gaining a lot of attention from scientists. Probiotics and postbiotics are usually applied in pharmaceutical formulations and/or commercial food-based products. These bioactive agents can be associated with host eukaryotic cells and have a key role in maintaining and restoring host health. The review describes the concept of postbiotics, their quality control and potential applications in pharmaceutical formulations and commercial food-based products for health promotion, prevention of disease and complementary treatment. Despite the effectiveness of probiotic products, researchers have introduced the concept of postbiotic to optimize their beneficial effects as well as to meet the needs of consumers to provide a safe product. The finding of recent studies suggests that postbiotics might be appropriate alternative agents for live probiotic cells and can be applied in medical, veterinary and food practice to prevent and to treat some diseases, promote animal health status and develop functional foods. Presently scientific literature confirms that postbiotics, as potential alternative agents, may have superiority in terms of safety relative to their parent live cells, and due to their unique characteristics in terms of clinical, technological and economical aspects, can be applied as promising tools in the drug and food industry for developing health benefits, and therapeutic aims.

Co-encapsulation of probiotics with prebiotics and their application in functional/synbiotic dairy products

Oral administration of live probiotics along with prebiotics has been suggested with numerous beneficial effects for several conditions including certain infectious disorders, diarrheal illnesses, some inflammatory bowel diseases, and most recently, irritable bowel syndrome. Though, delivery of such viable bacteria to the host intestine is a major challenge, due to the poor survival of the ingested probiotic bacteria during the gastric transit, especially within the stomach where the pH is highly acidic. Although microencapsulation has been known as a promising approach for improving the viability of probiotics in the human digestive tract, the success rate is not satisfactory. For this reason, co-encapsulation of probiotics with probiotics has been practised as a novel alternative approach for further improvement of the oral delivery of viable probiotics toward their targeted release in the host intestine. This paper discusses the co-encapsulation technologies used for delivery of probiotics toward better stability and viability, as well the incorporation of co-encapsulated probiotics and prebiotics in functional/synbiotic dairy foods. The common encapsulation technologies (and the materials) used for this purpose, the stability and survival of co-encapsulated probiotics in the food, and the release behavior of the co-encapsulated probiotics in the gastrointestinal tract have also been explained. Most studies reported a significant improvement particularly in the viability of bacteria associated with the presence of prebiotics. Nevertheless, the previous research has mostly been carried out in the simulated digestion, meaning that future systematic research is to be carried out to investigate the efficacy of the co-encapsulation on the survival of the bacteria in the gut in vivo.

Potential of Nanonutraceuticals in Increasing Immunity

Nutraceuticals are defined as foods or their extracts that have a demonstrably positive effect on human health. According to the decision of the European Food Safety Authority, this positive effect, the so-called health claim, must be clearly demonstrated best by performed tests. Nutraceuticals include dietary supplements and functional foods. These special foods thus affect human health and can positively affect the immune system and strengthen it even in these turbulent times, when the human population is exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these special foods are supplemented with nanoparticles of active substances or processed into nanoformulations. The benefits of nanoparticles in this case include enhanced bioavailability, controlled release, and increased stability. Lipid-based delivery systems and the encapsulation of nutraceuticals are mainly used for the enrichment of food products with these health-promoting compounds. This contribution summarizes the current state of the research and development of effective nanonutraceuticals influencing the body's immune responses, such as vitamins (C, D, E, B12, folic acid), minerals (Zn, Fe, Se), antioxidants (carotenoids, coenzyme Q10, polyphenols, curcumin), omega-3 fatty acids, and probiotics.

Screening of autochthonous vaginal beneficial lactobacilli strains by their growth at high temperatures for technological applications

The pharmaceutical industry shows an emerging interest in formulas that contain live and beneficial microorganisms, also known as probiotics or pharmabiotics, which in many cases, are host-specific. The resistance to higher temperature is an essential feature of these microorganisms when working on the design of products for vaginal formula. In order to obtain a high number of viable cells and a prolonged shelf life in the designed product, it is required to apply technological procedures using high temperatures or abrupt changes of them, which result in conditions that are different from the optimal growth temperature and can affect the metabolic capabilities of the bacteria when administered to the host in order to reestablish the ecological mucosa. The aim of this work was to evaluate the behavior of 30 different species and strains of autochthonous beneficial vaginal lactobacilli (BVL) when exposed to high temperatures, determine their survival capabilities and analyze their pre-adaptation to those temperatures, in order that they still maintain their viability after technological processes and further conservation. BVL were exhibited to temperatures higher than optimal, with the purpose of evaluating their growth kinetics and parameters. Later, they were exposed to higher temperatures, and then, returned to their optimal, to determine if they were able to grow again. The strains that showed higher resistance were selected, and their viability and beneficial properties studied further. The growth kinetics of strains exposed to higher temperatures showed different patterns, which provided evidence that the thermal adaptation is strain-dependent and is not related to any particular species and/or metabolic group in which the strains were taxonomically classified. The pre-adaptive step allowed the growth of some of the strains, preserving their viability and probiotic properties after the high temperatures were applied. The results shows that BVL can be exposed to high temperatures used in different technological processes that are applied for pharmabiotic formulations, such as spray dried or vacuum rotary evaporation, and/or during the conservation period. The results obtained indicate that some specific BVL strains resist high temperatures and grow afterwards at optimal conditions.

Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12 enumeration by quantitative PCR assay in microcapsules with full-fat goat milk and inulin-type fructans

The current study was conducted to develop a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay for Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12 quantification in microcapsules matrix with full-fat goat milk and inulin-type fructans. DNA was isolated from milk, feed solutions (before spray drying) and microcapsules (after spray drying) using DNAzol. Two primer pairs targeting Bal-23S or Tuf sequences were evaluated by qPCR. The qPCR efficiency was higher (89.5%) using the Tuf primers than Bal-23S primers (84.8%). Tuf primer pair was able to selectively detect B. animalis ssp. lactis BB-12. After, quantification of bifidobacteria in the microcapsules matrix by Tuf qPCR assay was compared to conventional enumeration by plate counting. The analysis of probiotic feed solutions and microcapsules showed higher (P < 0.05) bacterial enumeration determined by Tuf qPCR assay compared to those obtained by plate counting. This qPCR assay was considered a rapid and sensitive alternative for the quantification of B. animalis ssp. lactis BB-12 in probiotic microcapsules compared to plate counting.

Stability of bifidobacteria entrapped in goat's whey freeze concentrate and inulin as wall materials and powder properties

Goat's whey was submitted to two cycles of block freeze concentration process, resulting in concentrate 1 and concentrate 2. Concentrate 1 was added with 5 g of inulin and both concentrates were inoculated with Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12, the concentrates were then denoted as feed solutions 1 and 2, respectively. Feed solutions were spray-dried, resulting in powder 1 and 2. The stability of the bifidobacteria entrapped within the powders was evaluated for both spray-dried powders stored at 4 °C and 25 °C for 60 days. The spray-dried powders were also evaluated in relation to their physical and thermal properties. It was noted that Bifidobacteria displayed increased stability at refrigeration temperature. Analysis of physical properties indicated that the addition of inulin resulted in increased water solubility. However, both spray-dried powders displayed less flowability, as well as a yellow-greenish color. By evaluating the spray-dried powders thermal properties, it was possible to confirm that goat whey concentrates behave as excellent wall materials.

Criterios y estrategias tecnológicas para la incorporación y supervivencia de probióticos en frutas, cereales y sus derivados

Los alimentos a los que se les añaden probióticos (bacterias benéficas) constituyen uno de los sectores más importantes de los alimentos funcionales. Los productos lácteos son los principales vehículos para estas bacterias que producen un efecto benéfico a la salud, cuando se consumen vivas y en cantidades suficientes para adherirse al colon. Sin embargo, cada día crece el interés por desarrollar alimentos no lácteos como vehículo para probióticos. Los productos de origen vegetal son una buena alternativa para estas innovaciones. Tienen la ventaja de que son muy aceptados y accesibles para la población. Adicionalmente, representan una alternativa de consumo para poblaciones con dietas restringidas. Sin embargo, la incorporación de probióticos a estos productos requiere considerar varios criterios y vencer retos tecnológicos con la finalidad de conservarlos funcionalmente activos.

Probiotics in Goat Milk Products: Delivery Capacity and Ability to Improve Sensory Attributes

Dairy foods, particularly those of bovine origin, are the predominant vehicles for delivery of probiotic bacteria. Caprine (goat) milk also possesses potential for successful delivery of probiotics, and despite its less appealing flavor in some products, the use of goat milk as a probiotic carrier has rapidly increased over the last decade. This review reports on the diversity, applicability, and potential of using probiotics to enhance the sensory properties of goat milk and goat milk-based products. A brief conceptual introduction to probiotic microorganisms is followed by an account of the unique physicochemical, nutritive, and beneficial aspects of goat milk, emphasizing its advantages as a probiotic carrier. The sensory properties of probiotic-enriched goat milk products are also discussed. The maintenance of probiotic viability and desirable physicochemical characteristics in goat milk products over shelf life is possible. However, the unpleasant sensory features of some goat milk products remain a major disadvantage that hinder its wider utilization. Nevertheless, certain measures such as fortification with selected probiotic strains, inclusion of fruit pulps and popular flavor compounds, and production of commonly consumed tailor-made goat milk-based products have potential to overcome this limitation. In particular, certain probiotic bacteria release volatile compounds as a result of their metabolism, which are known to play a major role in the aroma profile and sensory aspects of the final products.

Dairy foods and positive impact on the consumer's health

The objective of the present chapter was to demonstrate the state of the art in the recent advances in nutritional and functional components of dairy products research. In this chapter, the main mechanisms responsible and essential for a better understanding of nutritional and functional values of the components of milk and dairy products are highlighted. It also includes a discussion about the positive impacts of fermented milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, and dairy desserts components on the consumer's health.

Advances in the Application of Microcapsules as Carriers of Functional Compounds for Food Products

Natural bioactive compounds and living cells have been reported as promising products with beneficial properties to human health. The constant challenge regarding the use of these components is their easy degradation during processing and storage. However, their stability can be improved with the microencapsulation process, in which a compound sensitive to adverse environmental conditions is retained within a protective polymeric material. Microencapsulation is a widely used methodology for the preservation and stabilization of functional compounds for food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic applications. The present review discusses advances in the production and application of microcapsules loaded with functional compounds in food products. The main methods for producing microcapsules, as well as the classes of functional compounds and wall materials used, are presented. Additionally, the release of compounds from loaded microcapsules in food matrices and in simulated gastrointestinal conditions is also assessed.

Advances in Spray-Drying Encapsulation of Food Bioactive Ingredients: From Microcapsules to Nanocapsules

Many natural food bioactive ingredients are sensitive to processing and environmental conditions and thus it is necessary to improve their stability to create products with long shelf lives. Encapsulation by spray drying is a widely used economical strategy to tackle this issue, and many scientists and manufacturers are using it in their research, development, and production activities. In this review, the spray-drying process is described, as are recent trends in the encapsulation of fish oils, essential fatty acids, probiotics, phenolic compounds, and natural food colorants. The formulation and process conditions used in previous research and the results obtained are tabulated. Also, new innovations in bioactive encapsulation using nano-spray drying are described.