Influence of encapsulated Lactobacillus plantarum and eugenol on the physicochemical properties and microbial community of fresh-cut apples.

This study aimed to evaluate the application of encapsulated L. plantarum and eugenol as potential biocontrol agents in sliced apples. The combined encapsulated L. plantarum and eugenol treatment was more effective than separate encapsulated L. plantarum and eugenol treatments, with regards to browning inhibition and consumers panel test. The application of encapsulated L. plantarum and eugenol reduced the decline of the physicochemical qualities of the samples, and improved the ability of antioxidant enzymes to scavenge reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, reductions in the growth of L. plantarum of only 1.72 log CFU/g were observed after 15 days of storage at 4 °C for samples treated with encapsulated L. plantarum and eugenol. Results suggest the combined encapsulated L. plantarum and eugenol appears to be a promising method to protect fresh-cut apples from food-borne pathogens while maintaining the visual appearance.

Lactobacillus plantarum 21805 encapsulated by whey protein isolate and dextran conjugate for enhanced viability.

Probiotics incorporated into food products are often insufficiently potent because of unfavorable interference during processing. This study addressed these issues by encapsulating Lactobacillus plantarum into whey protein isolate (WPI) and dextran (DX) conjugates using an encapsulator. The objective of this work is to investigate the effect of encapsulation using WPI and DX conjugates on the viability of Lactobacillus plantarum. The formation of the conjugates was confirmed with absorbance of the intermediate- and late-stage products, degree of grafting, browning index, and gel electrophoresis. Extending the heating time from 1 to 5 h increased the content of high molecular weight conjugates. These conjugates provided better protection of probiotics under processing stress conditions, gastrointestinal conditions, and storage. Furthermore, encapsulated L. plantarum exhibited a reduction of only 0.33 log CFU/mL after 90 d of storage at 4 °C. Thus, microencapsulation of probiotics can enhance the viability of functional food products and facilitate corresponding research.

Microencapsulation of Lactobacillus plantarum by spray drying: Protective effects during simulated food processing, gastrointestinal conditions, and in kefir.

Probiotics are incorporated into food products because of numerous favorable effects on human health. The viability of probiotics is often affected by unfavorable interference during processing. The encapsulation can provide protection to probiotics during mechanical processing, storage, and gastrointestinal digestion. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of whey protein isolate (WPI) and dextran (DX) conjugates for Lactobacillus plantarum. The WPI-DX conjugate was prepared by Maillard-based glycation and confirmed by gel electrophoresis. Extending the heating time from 1 to 5 h decreased the content of tryptophan residues and increased the amide I and amide II bands. The enhanced protective ability of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) for L. plantarum was observed under conditions of stress (pH, heat, and salt) and in vitro digestion. In situ viability tests showed that encapsulation improved the survival of bacteria in kefir during 15 days of storage at 4 °C. Overall, our results provide valuable information for the development of functional probiotic food products.