Research progress on preparation of polysaccharide-based probiotic microcapsules and their application in food

Probiotics have multiple benefits, but they are prone to be affected by adverse environments during processing and storage, which can lead to a decrease in their activity. However, microencapsulation technology can protect probiotics, reduce the impact of adverse environments, and thus maintain their high activity. Probiotic microencapsulation technology involves wrapping probiotics in specific wall materials through pHysical or chemical methods to enhance their survival rates during processing, storage, and in the gastrointestinal environment. As the core component of microcapsules, the wall material directly affects the protective effect and release characteristics of probiotics. At present, commonly used food-grade wall materials include protein, carbohydrates, etc., and polysaccharides have better functional properties such as good biocompatibility and safety than traditional wall materials. In this paper, the definition and classification of polysaccharides are introduced, the physiological functions of polysaccharides are systematically analyzed, different physiological functions of polysaccharides are confirmed by consulting different studies, the research progress of different forms of microcapsules is expounded, and the application of polysaccharides as food-grade wall materials in different foods is summarized. The purpose of this paper is to provide some references for the development of wall materials for probiotic microcapsules and future research on polysaccharides.