Effects of polymerised whey protein-based microencapsulation on survivability of Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 and physiochemical properties of yoghurt

New perspective on protein-based microcapsules as delivery vehicles for sensitive substances: A review

Sensitive substances have attracted wide attention due to their rich functional activities, such as antibiosis activities, antioxidant activities and prevent disease, etc. However, the low stability of sensitive substances limits their bioavailability and functional activities. Protein-based microcapsules can encapsulate sensitive substances to improve their adverse properties due to their good stability, strong emulsifying ability and wide source. Therefore, it is necessary to fully elaborate and summarize protein-based microcapsules to maximize their potential benefits in nutritional interventions. The focus of this review is to highlight the classification of protein-based microcapsules. In addition, the principles, advantages and disadvantages of preparation methods for protein-based microcapsules are summarized. Some novel preparation methods for protein-based microcapsules are also emphasized. Moreover, the mechanism of protein-based microcapsules that release sensitive substances in vitro is elucidated and summarized. Furthermore, the applications of protein-based microcapsules are outlined. Protein-based microcapsules can effectively encapsulate sensitive substances, which improve their bioavailability, and provide protective effects during storage and gastrointestinal digestion. In addition, microcapsules can improve the sensory quality of food and enhance its stability. The performance of protein-based microcapsules for delivering sensitive substances is influenced by factors such as protein type, the ratio between protein ratio and the other wall material, the preparation process, etc. Future research should focus on the new composite protein-based microcapsule delivery system, which can be applied to in vivo research and have synergistic effects and precise nutritional functions. In summary, protein-based microcapsules have broader research prospects in the functional foods and nutrition field.

Microencapsulate Probiotics (MP) Promote Growth Performance and Inhibit Inflammatory Response in Broilers Challenged with Salmonella typhimurium

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are prevalent in husbandry around the world due to the abuse of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs); therefore, it is necessary to find alternatives to AGPs in animal feed. Among all the candidates, probiotics are promising alternatives to AGPs against Salmonella infection. The anti-Salmonella effects of three probiotic strains, namely, Lactobacillus crispatus 7-4, Lactobacillus johnsonii 3-1, and Pediococcus acidilactici 20-1, have been demonstrated in our previous study. In this study, we further obtained the alginate beads containing compound probiotics, namely, microencapsulate probiotics (MP), and evaluated its regulatory effect on the health of broilers. We incubated free and microencapsulate probiotics in simulated gastric and intestinal juice for 2 h, and the results showed that compared to free probiotics, encapsulation increased tolerance of compound probiotics in the simulated gastrointestinal condition. We observed that the application of probiotics, especially MP, conferred protective effects against Salmonella typhimurium (S.Tm) infection in broilers. Compared to the S.Tm group, the MP could promote the growth performance (p < 0.05) and reduce the S.Tm load in intestine and liver (p < 0.05). In detail, MP pretreatment could modulate the cecal microflora and upregulate the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Enterobacteriaceae. Besides, MP could reduce the inflammation injury of the intestine and liver, reduce the pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β) expression, and induce of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) expression. Furthermore, MP could inhibit NLRP3 pathway in ileum, thereby attenuating S.Tm-induced inflammation. In conclusion, MP could be a new feeding supplementation strategy to substitute AGPs in poultry feeding.

Development, characterization, and consumer acceptance evaluation of thermally stable capsule beads containing mixed extracts of green tea and turmeric

The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of shell (coating) formulations comprised of alginate and glucono delta lactone (GDL) to encapsulate a mixture of green tea and turmeric extracts. Three concentrations of alginate and GDL were used at 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1%, w/v and their solid ratio was varied using a factorial design. A response surface model was applied to optimize the retention of catechin and curcuminoid contents, to determine encapsulation efficiency, and to minimize undesirable flavor and taste. Increasing the concentration of alginate and GDL significantly increased the retention of catechin and curcuminoid contents, encapsulation efficiency, and consumer acceptance (p < 0.05). The encapsulating solution containing 1% of each alginate and GDL performed the best against each criterion. The thermal treatment carried out at the boiling point of water for 15 min had a significant impact on the retention of catechin and curcuminoid content which, in the thermally-treated beads, was 5.15 and 3.85 times higher than unencapsulated, respectively. The consumer acceptance of the encapsulated beads after thermal treatment was higher than that of the unencapsulated formulations as they exhibited lesser pungent flavor and bitterness. The innovative process of thermally stable microencapsulation can produce anti-cancer activity compounds involved in functional food industrial sectors.

Whey proteins as a functional food: Health effects, functional properties, and applications in food

Functional foods are defined as foods and ingredients that exhibit health benefits beyond their nutritional value. Research on functional foods is increasing rapidly as they may help prevent and manage some non-communicable diseases. Whey proteins are recognized as a high-quality nutrient source and known to contain some bioactive components. They are rich in essential amino acids such as cysteine, branched-chain amino acids such as leucine, valine, and isoleucine, and bioactive peptides. Whey proteins look promising as a potential functional food, given its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, blood pressure lowering, anti-obesity, and appetite suppressing effects that is discussed in the literature. Whey proteins also show functional properties that play an essential role in food processing as an emulsifier, fat-replacer, gelling and encapsulating agent and are known to improve sensory and textural characteristics of food. This review focuses on the functional food aspects of whey proteins, associated health effects, and current food applications.

Microencapsulation of Probiotics for Food Functionalization: An Update on Literature Reviews

Functional foods comprise the largest growing food category due to both consumer demands and health claims by manufacturers. Probiotics are considered one of the best choices for meeting these demands. Traditionally, the food vehicle for introducing probiotics to consumers was dairy products, and to expand the benefits of probiotics for a wider range of consumers, the need to use other food items was essential. To achieve this goal while maximising the benefits of probiotics, protection methods used during food processing were tackled. The microencapsulation of probiotics is a promising methodology for achieving this function. This review highlights the use of the microencapsulation of probiotics in order to functionalise food items that initially were not considered suitable for probiotication, such as baked products, or to increase their functionality such as dairy products. The co-microencapsulation of probiotics with other functional ingredients such polyphenol, prebiotics, or omega-3 is also highlighted.

Materials Used for the Microencapsulation of Probiotic Bacteria in the Food Industry

Probiotics and probiotic therapy have been rapidly developing in recent years due to an increasing number of people suffering from digestive system disorders and diseases related to intestinal dysbiosis. Owing to their activity in the intestines, including the production of short-chain fatty acids, probiotic strains of lactic acid bacteria can have a significant therapeutic effect. The activity of probiotic strains is likely reduced by their loss of viability during gastrointestinal transit. To overcome this drawback, researchers have proposed the process of microencapsulation, which increases the resistance of bacterial cells to external conditions. Various types of coatings have been used for microencapsulation, but the most popular ones are carbohydrate and protein microcapsules. Microencapsulating probiotics with vegetable proteins is an innovative approach that can increase the health value of the final product. This review describes the different types of envelope materials that have been used so far for encapsulating bacterial biomass and improving the survival of bacterial cells. The use of a microenvelope has initiated the controlled release of bacterial cells and an increase in their activity in the large intestine, which is the target site of probiotic strains.

Reevaluating a non-conventional procedure to microencapsulate beneficial lactobacilli: assessments on yield and bacterial viability under simulated technological and physiological conditions

BACKGROUND

Maintaining viability of beneficial microorganisms applied to foods still constitutes an industrial challenge. Many microencapsulation methodologies have been studied to protect probiotic microorganisms and ensure their resistance from manufacturing through to consumption. However, in many Latin-American countries such as Argentina there are still no marketed food products containing microencapsulated beneficial bacteria. The objectives of this work were: (i) to obtain microcapsules containing Lactobacillus fermentum L23 and L. rhamnosus L60 in a milk protein matrix; and (ii) to evaluate the viability of microencapsulated lactobacilli exposed to long-term refrigerated storage, mid-high temperatures and simulated gastrointestinal conditions.

RESULTS

The method of emulsification/rennet-catalyzed gelation of milk proteins used in this study led to high encapsulation yields for both strains (98.2-99%). Microencapsulated lactobacilli remained viable for 120 days at 4 °C, while free lactobacilli gradually lost their viability under the same conditions. Microencapsulation increased the resistance of lactobacilli to mid-high temperatures, since they showed survival rates of 95-99.3% at 50 °C, and of 72.5-74.4% at 65 °C. Under simulated gastric conditions, the microencapsulated lactobacilli counts were higher than 8.5 log CFU mL^-1 and showed survival rates between 96.61% and 97.74%. Furthermore, in the presence of bile (0.5-2% w/v) the survival of microencapsulated strains was higher than 96%.

CONCLUSION

The microencapsulation process together with the matrix of milk proteins used in this study protected beneficial Lactobacillus strains against these first simulated technological and physiological conditions. These findings suggest that this microencapsulation method could contribute to secure optimal amounts of living lactobacilli cells able to reach the intestine. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Role of Microencapsulation in Food Application

Modern microencapsulation techniques are employed to protect active molecules or substances such as vitamins, pigments, antimicrobials, and flavorings, among others, from the environment. Microencapsulation offers advantages such as facilitating handling and control of the release and solubilization of active substances, thus offering a great area for food science and processing development. For instance, the development of functional food products, fat reduction, sensory improvement, preservation, and other areas may involve the use of microcapsules in various food matrices such as meat products, dairy products, cereals, and fruits, as well as in their derivatives, with good results. The versatility of applications arises from the diversity of techniques and materials used in the process of microencapsulation. The objective of this review is to report the state of the art in the application and evaluation of microcapsules in various food matrices, as a one-microcapsule-core system may offer different results according to the medium in which it is used. The inclusion of microcapsules produces functional products that include probiotics and prebiotics, as well as antioxidants, fatty acids, and minerals. Our main finding was that the microencapsulation of polyphenolic extracts, bacteriocins, and other natural antimicrobials from various sources that inhibit microbial growth could be used for food preservation. Finally, in terms of sensory aspects, microcapsules that mimic fat can function as fat replacers, reducing the textural changes in the product as well as ensuring flavor stability.

Novel freeze-drying matrix for enhancing viability of probiotic supplemented milkshake during simulated in vitro digestion

Probiotics are recognized as essential components to improve health and regulate immune functions. Despite several probiotic formulations, the anticipation for non-fermented probiotic foods is noticeable. The objective of the study was to investigate and develop a stable freeze-dried synbiotic formula that can serve the purpose of a probiotic enricher as well as a thickener in an instant milk-based beverage. The freeze-dried synbiotic formula was assessed for the protective effect of whey protein-polysaccharides for retaining high cell viability during freeze-drying and subsequent storage. Highest survival rates were obtained for WP-15%I (85.90%), WP-15%P (85.43%), and WP-0.6%X (80.23%) combinations. During storage at 4 °C for 75 d, a lower specific rate of cell inactivation was found for WP-0.4%X (-0.0184 day^-1), WP-5%P (-0.0197 day^-1) and WP-5%I (-0.023 day^-1). Subsequent ingestion of synbiotic portions in the gastro-intestinal digestion simulator was studied in two ways to enumerate the retaining cell viability and understanding the importance of co-ingested food. Synbiotic portions reconstituted in milk showed higher probiotic survival through gastrointestinal digestion than water demonstrating the significance of supporting food matrix for improving the survival and efficiency of probiotics.

Encapsulation of tartary buckwheat flavonoids and application to yoghurt

Aims: The present work investigates the effect of tartary buckwheat flavonoid (TBF) capsules on the physical and chemical properties of yoghurt using polymeric whey protein (PWP) as a wall material.Methods: PWP was prepared by thermal polymerisation. TBF was encapsulated using PWP as the wall material via the pore-coagulation bath method. The physicochemical properties of the TBF capsules, such as the entrapment yield, moisture, average particle size, particle size distribution, surface morphology, molecular interactions, and thermal stability were investigated, in addition to the release of TBF in simulated gastric and intestinal juices. Yoghurt formulation was carried out using encapsulated TBF (3%, w/w), blank PWP beads (2.7%, w/w), and unencapsulated TBF (0.3%, w/w). A control yoghurt sample was prepared without these ingredients. The effects of encapsulated TBF on the chemical composition, acidity, texture, synaeresis, sensory properties, number of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus, and other physical and chemical properties of the yoghurt were investigated.Results: TBF capsules were found to be sphere-shaped with porous surfaces, an average particle size of 1728.67 μm, an encapsulation yield of 92.85 ± 1.98% (w/w), and a glass transition temperature of 152.06 °C. When the TBF capsules were exposed to simulated gastric fluid for 4 h, the TBF release rate was 15.75% (w/w), while in simulated intestinal fluid, the TBF release rate reached 65.99% (w/w) after 1 h. After 5-6 h in simulated intestinal fluid, the TBF release rate reached 100% (w/w). The protein content of the yoghurt with encapsulated TBF was 3.57 ± 0.26% (w/w, p < 0.01), and the numbers of Lactobacillus and Streptococcus thermophilus were 2.45 ± 0.98 × 10⁸ (p < 0.01) and 5.43 ± 2.24 × 10⁷ CFU/mL (p < 0.05), respectively, with strong water retention being detected (p < 0.01). Samples containing the encapsulated TBF exhibited a significantly higher acceptability than the unencapsulated TBF (p < 0.01).Conclusions: Encapsulation using PWP effectively delivers TBF to the small intestine through the stomach. It also masks the bitter taste, enhances the colour of TBF-containing yoghurt, and improves the physical and chemical properties of the yoghurt.