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Updated: May 5, 2026

Extraction of Plant-based Capsules for Microencapsulation Applications
Published on: November 9, 2016
Microencapsulation of Lactobacillus plantarum using cellulose-based polymers by spray-drying: A probiotic-delivery
Danial Gazalian1, Atousa Aliahmadi2, Hasan Rafati1
1Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract:
Microencapsulation of probiotics enhances their survival during processing, storage, and oral delivery. This study investigates the use of hypromellose phthalate (HPMCP) alone and in combination with hypromellose (HPMC) as a cellulose-based coating for Lactobacillus plantarum to enhance its survival during spray-drying and gastrointestinal transit. The microcapsules were characterized for physicochemical properties and cell viability under storage and simulated gastrointestinal fluids (SGF/SIF). The encapsulated Lactobacillus plantarum showed higher survivability during spray-drying, increasing from 78.33 % for free cells to 91.59 % and 94.27 % for HPMCP and HPMCP/HPMC blend microcapsules, respectively. SEM images confirmed successful encapsulation with smooth particle surfaces. As confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy, DSC revealed a significant increase in glass transition temperature (Tg), indicating enhanced matrix rigidity. The microcapsules maintained viable cells of >109 CFU/g for up to 12 weeks under different storage conditions. Survival in SGF improved significantly, with HPMCP and HPMCP/HPMC blend microcapsules showing only 0.34 and 0.8 log CFU/g cell loss, respectively, compared to a 3.36 log CFU/g reduction for free cells. After 6 h incubation in SGF/SIF, both formulations showed survival rates >106 CFU/g. These results highlight the potential of cellulose-based polymers for the development of innovative probiotic products.
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