Enhancing the Viability Rate of Probiotic by Co-Encapsulating with Prebiotic in Alginate Microcapsules Supplemented to Cupcake Production

For decades, there has been a trend of producing functional foods containing probiotic bacteria [1]. Besides, interest in food ingredients on health have led to many functional foods containing such ingredients is available on the market [2], such as food products and supplements containing probiotic bacteria. Probiotics have been defined as microbial food supplements with beneficial effects on consumers [3]. There have been many studies of LAB species, in which Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 has been believed to help preserve the function of epithelial barrier and inhibit inflammation by affecting the signaling pathway in the intestinal epithelium of human [4] and ability of bacteriocin production, and had a wide inhibitory effect on both negative and positive Gram harmful bacteria [5]. However, the viability of L. plantarum ATCC8014 under the impact of high temperature in the food production process was poorly reported. Foodstuff is the most friendly way to consume probiotics, therefore many studies on making a lot of choices about how to combine probiotics in a multitude of foods [6]. But it is worth noting that most of the probiotic supplement foods on the market are made from dairy sources, such as ice cream, cheese, yogurt, and more. Meanwhile, the demand for non-dairy products is increasing according to vegetarianism or health issues related to dairy products such as lactose intolerance, allergies with milk protein and blood cholesterol control The objective of the study was to assess the survival of microencapsulated Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC8014 produced using the emulsion technique in alginate gel combined with pectin and maltodextrin components. The microcapsules were then added to cupcake dough that was further baked at 200°C for 12 min. The viability of L. plantarum was assessed during baking and the 10 days of storage at 4°C as well as in simulated gastrointestinal conditions. In addition, yeast-mold and water activity were investigated. After baking, the samples with microencapsulated L. plantarum contained more than 5 log CFU/g, which was higher compared to the bacterial concentration of the control samples. The concentration of L. plantarum was more than 6 logs CFU/g after the end of the storage; therefore, the probiotic functioned as a biopreservative in the cake. The prebiotic component strengthened the microcapsules network and helped protect the viability of L. plantarum in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) media. The results show that the addition of L. plantarum microencapsules did not affect the sensory scores of the cupcake while ensuring the viability of the probiotic during baking and storing.