Improving the viability and stability of a probiotic product with Saccharomyces boulardii DBVPG

Abstract

In recent decades, probiotic products have been increasingly used to prevent certain gastro-intestinal and urogenital disorders, to improve the general condition of the body and as a supplement to pharmacological therapy. They are most often registered as dietary supplements, and less often as drugs in the form of capsules, powders, and solutions. Optimization of technological processes of production and packaging of these products aims to maintain probiotic characteristics while adhering to all criteria during production that ensure quality, bioavailability and optimal therapeutic effects. In this paper, the importance of choosing primary and secondary packaging materials was explored with the aim of preserving the viability of probiotic cells in capsules for two years, i.e. during the shelf life. By comparing the applications of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and PVC/polyvinylidene chloride/polyethylene blister foils, better protection of probiotic cells was observed by applying the multilayer foil. In addition, in this research, further improvements of probiotic cell protection were achieved by applying a secondary packing-flow pack bag with inert gas for storing multilayered blisters.