Microencapsulation of Lactobacillus acidophilus in coconut oil emulsion and its viability during storage at room temperature
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v15i5.50848Keywords:
Microencapsulation, Probiotics, Emulsion, Coconut Oil, Microbial Viability.Abstract
The development of probiotic foods faces challenges related to maintaining the viability of microorganisms during shelf life at room temperature. Most probiotic products currently available require refrigeration to ensure the survival of beneficial bacteria, which limits their application in different food matrices. In this context, microencapsulation strategies have been investigated to protect microorganisms against adverse environmental conditions. The present study aimed to develop an encapsulation system for Lactobacillus acidophilus using coconut oil as an encapsulating material and to evaluate probiotic viability during storage at room temperature. Lyophilized cultures were dispersed in melted coconut oil, cooled to form solid lipid particles, and subsequently emulsified in an aqueous medium. Samples were stored at 19 °C for 12 weeks, during which microbiological analyses were performed, along with pH and titratable acidity measurements. The encapsulated probiotic showed a reduction of only 1.6 logarithmic cycles after 12 weeks, maintaining counts above 10⁷ CFU g⁻¹, whereas the non-encapsulated probiotic showed counts lower than 10¹ CFU g⁻¹ after 5 weeks. The results indicate that coconut oil has potential as an encapsulating material for probiotics in foods stored at room temperature.
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