Electrospun probiotic (Lactobacillus pentosus) with prebiotic for better survival in the food system and during gastrointestinal transit

Abstract

This study aims to develop an electrospun probiotic with a prebiotic for better stability and survival in food systems and during gastrointestinal transit. The probiotic was combined with prebiotic barley extracts and electrospun using chitosan and alginate as polymers. The SEM, TEM, and AFM tests on the electrospun probiotic nanofibers revealed that adding barley improved the fiber morphology and texture. Moreover, electrospinning did not adversely affect the probiotic viability. The encapsulation efficiency of the electrospun nanofibers was 93 ± 0.01% and the probiotic count was 10 log₁₀ CFU/g on plating. Additionally, fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry confirmed the viability of the L. pentosus, within the nanofibers. Then the developed probiotic powder was incubated in the gastric and intestinal fluid for 120 min and it had a survival rate of 8.30 log₁₀ CFU/g in gastric fluid and 10.50 log₁₀ CFU/g in intestinal fluid. Then a fermented multi millet-sprouted moong dhal milk was developed and supplemented with an electrospun probiotic with prebiotic. The above product was stored and tested for nutritional, sensory, and physiochemical properties and it was promising. The fabricated electrospun prebiotic-enriched probiotic nanofibers and their application study demonstrated a feasible approach for product development.