Functional bread containing synbiotic microcapsules loaded with Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Microbiology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Growing consumer demand for health-promoting functional foods.
• Need for effective delivery systems for bioactive components like probiotics and prebiotics.
• Enzymatically produced levan as a promising prebiotic agent.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize synbiotic microcapsules combining prebiotic levan and probiotic agents.
• To evaluate the stability and viability of probiotics within the microcapsules under simulated gastrointestinal conditions.
• To assess the efficacy of synbiotic microcapsules in functional bread production.

Main Methods:

• Development of synbiotic microcapsules using enzymatic levan and probiotic bacteria.
• Morphological and particle size analysis of microcapsules.
• In vitro viability assays under simulated gastrointestinal conditions.
• Pilot-scale production of functional bread incorporating synbiotic microcapsules.
• Analysis of butyric acid production and probiotic cell counts in functional bread.

Main Results:

• Microcapsules were non-toxic, with uniform morphology and particle size (90% ≤1658.057 μm).
• High probiotic viability (0.6-2.0 log cfu/mL reduction) was maintained under simulated gastrointestinal conditions.
• Functional bread showed a positive correlation between butyric acid formation and probiotic counts, indicating effective synbiotic action.
• Microcapsule matrix demonstrated protective efficiency, enhancing probiotic stability and bioavailability.

Conclusions:

• Synbiotic microcapsules effectively protect probiotics and enhance their bioavailability.
• The developed microcapsules are suitable for incorporation into functional foods like bread.
• This strategy offers a technologically feasible approach to producing beneficial functional breads.