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Updated: Aug 6, 2026

The Cultivation, Growth, and Viability of Lactic Acid Bacteria: A Quality Control Perspective
Published on: June 16, 2022
Enhancing viability and stability of lactic acid bacteria co-encapsulated with natural pigments using whey protein
Zhi-Hong Zhang1, Jiaying Wang1, Jialin Chen1
1School of Food Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China.
Abstract:
This study aimed to establish a natural pigment-based synbiotic microcapsule system for lactic acid bacteria (LAB) protection, and to reveal the triple synergistic protection mechanism (pigment prebiotic effect + WPI/GA physical barrier + pigment antioxidant activity). This study first evaluated the novel prebiotic effects of three natural pigments (chlorophyll, betalain, and sodium copper chlorophyllin) on Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and Streptococcus thermophilus. Based on these findings, a synbiotic microcapsule system was subsequently developed by co-encapsulating the three pigments with the probiotics via whey protein isolate (WPI)/gum Arabic (GA) complex coacervation. The results indicate that the three natural pigments possess the potential to function as prebiotics, significantly enhancing the growth and metabolic activity of LAB strains. The encapsulated L. plantarum exhibited superior stress resistance, and the encapsulation efficiency of microcapsules containing natural pigments was 20% higher than that of the control group. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy confirmed strong hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions between natural pigments and WPI/GA wall materials, thereby enhancing the compactness of the microcapsule matrix and improving its protective performance. The findings provide a feasible and scalable strategy and theoretical references for the development of stable synbiotic functional foods.
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