The effect of alginate in the protection of probiotics from the harsh conditions of digestion

Abstract

[Excerpt] Introduction: Probiotics are live microorganisms that when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit to the host. However, to accomplish this positive influence on Human health, probiotics should survive to the passage through the upper digestive tract in large numbers to unsure a desired beneficial effects in the host. Several encapsulation methods have been used to protect probiotics. Alginate is the most used biopolymer in the production of these systems, although its performance is totally dependent of its characteristics. In this work, alginates with different molecular weights and different M/G ratio were used in the encapsulation of Lactococcus lactis spp. cremoris (LLC) aiming the protection of this probiotic bacteria against the harsh conditions of digestion. In the first set of experiments, variables such as flow rate, needle-CaCl2 solution distance and the stirring speed, CaCl2 concentration, alginate type, alginate concentration and needle diameter were studied in order to understand how they affect the formation of alginate beads. [...]