Research Information System
8TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MICROBIAL DIVERSITY, Rome, Italy, 23 - 26 September 2025, pp.113, (Summary Text)
Microencapsulation is an effective technique for stabilizing and maintaining the viability of
probiotic microorganisms under stress conditions. In this study, Lactobacillus pentosus cells
were encapsulated using different coating materials-reconstituted skim milk (RSM), gum
arabic (GA), and maltodextrin (MD)-via the freeze-drying method. The resulting
microcapsules were evaluated for their ability to enhance probiotic survival under various
stress conditions, including simulated gastrointestinal environments. The survivability of
encapsulated cells were assessed in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. Among the tested
formulations, microcapsules prepared with the RSM:GA combination demonstrated
significantly higher viability. A reduction of approximately 2-3 log CFU/mL in viable cell
counts was observed under both gastric and intestinal conditions. These findings suggest
that the RSM:GA coating matrix offers superior protection to
L. pentosus during gastrointestinal transit. The use of naturally sourced, food-compatible
coating agents such as RSM:GA enables the development of clean label products.
Microencapsulation allows for targeted release of probiotics (capsules that open in the
intestine or stomach), which is an important step in personalised nutrition approaches.