Microencapsulation of Lactobacillus plantarum DKL 109 using External Ionic Gelation Method.

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Microbiology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Probiotic viability is crucial for commercial success.
• Microencapsulation protects probiotics from harsh environments.
• External ionic gelation offers a potential encapsulation method.

Purpose of the Study:

• To improve Lactobacillus plantarum DKL 109 viability using external ionic gelation.
• To evaluate different coating materials for microencapsulation.
• To assess the efficacy of the method for commercial use.

Main Methods:

• Microencapsulation of Lactobacillus plantarum DKL 109 using external ionic gelation with an atomizing spray device.
• Testing three coating formulas: 2% alginate (Al), 1% alginate/1% gellan gum (Al-GG), and 1.5% alginate/3% gum arabic (Al-GA).
• Analysis of microcapsule particle size, encapsulation yield, survivability in acid/bile, and storage stability.

Main Results:

• Microcapsule particle size ranged from 18.2 to 23.01 μm.
• The alginate/gum arabic (Al-GA) formula achieved the highest microencapsulation yield (98.11%).
• Al-GA microcapsules significantly increased probiotic survivability and improved storage stability at ambient temperature.

Conclusions:

• External ionic gelation with an atomizing spray device is an efficient technology for probiotic encapsulation.
• The Al-GA formula demonstrates superior performance in protecting Lactobacillus plantarum.
• This method shows potential for scale-up and commercial application due to small microcapsule size and enhanced stability.