Polyfunctional sugar-free white chocolate fortified with Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG co-encapsulated with beet residue extract (Beta vulgaris L.)

Chocolate is a worldwide consumed food. This study investigated the fortification of sugar-free white chocolate with Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG microcapsule co-encapsulated with beet residue extract. The chocolates were evaluated for moisture, water activity, texture, color properties, melting, physicochemical, and probiotic stability during storage. Furthermore, the survival of L. rhamnosus GG and the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds were investigated under in vitro simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Regarding the characterization of probiotic microcapsules, the encapsulation efficiency of L. rhamnosus GG was > 89 % while the encapsulation efficiency of phenolic compounds was > 62 %. Chocolates containing probiotic microcapsules were less hard and resistant to breakage. All chocolates had a similar melting behavior (endothermic peaks between 32.80 and 34.40 °C). After 120 days of storage at 4 °C, probiotic populations > 6.77 log CFU/g were detected in chocolate samples. This result demonstrates the potential of this matrix to carry L. rhamnosus GG cells. Regarding the resistance of probiotic strains during gastric simulation, the co-encapsulation of L. rhamnosus GG with beet extract contributed to high counts during gastrointestinal transit, reaching the colon (48 h) with viable cell counts equal to 11.80 log CFU/g. Finally, one of our main findings was that probiotics used phenolic compounds as a substrate source, which may be an observed prebiotic effect.

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.

Development, characterization and optimization of biopolymers films based on starch and flour from jabuticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora) peel

In this study, the influence of the concentration of flour from jabuticaba peel (FJP) and the concentration of glycerol (CG) on the physicochemical, barrier, mechanical, optical, spectroscopic and biodegradability properties of corn starch films was evaluated using response surface methodology. The increase in the concentrations of FJP and CG enhanced the thickness and permeability to water vapor, and made the films more hydrophilic. In addition to that, the interaction between the two variables caused reduction in the solubility of the films. High concentrations of FJP and CG reduced the maximum tensile strength, and increased CG increased the elongation and decreased the young's modulus of the films. Among the tests studied, the T1 film (15.80% FJP and 15.80% CG) was biodegradable, presenting the best mechanical and barrier properties such as low water vapor permeability, solubility and water holding capacity, showing great potential to be used as biodegradable packaging system.