Abstract

L. reuteri DSM 17938 strain was encapsulated using emulsion polymerization technique with alginate and fructooligosaccharide at five different concentrations between 0 and 1.5%. This study aimed to improve the gastrointestinal system (GIS) viability of L. reuteri. Encapsulation yield was calculated and found to be between 98.67 and 86.88%, and SEM imaging was performed for beads, and their sizes were found to range from 68.81 µm to 351.0 µm. In addition, microbial growth in GIS was indicated for 3 h at intervals of one hour. 0.75% fructooligosaccharide plus 2% alginate capsules yielded the highest viability in a simulated gastric environment. At the end of 3 h, these capsules were decreased 0.39±0.03 logarithmic cycle, but the non-encapsulated control sample was decreased 2.10±0.16 log. The control sample was decreased by 5.8 log cycle in the simulated bile environment, but capsules were decreased by 2.5-3.4 log cycle on average. The result was statistically significant and showed that the encapsulation process protected the survival of microorganisms in GIS.

Key words: Encapsulation, gastrointestinal system, lactic acid bacteria, survival rate.