Encapsulation and gastrointestinal endurance of Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 strain with emulsion polymerization

L. reuteri DSM 17938 strain was encapsulated using emulsion polymerization technique with alginate and fructooligosaccharide at five different concentrations between 0 and 1.5%. This study aimed to improve the gastrointestinal system (GIS) viability of L. reuteri. Encapsulation yield was calculated and found to be between 98.67 and 86.88%, and SEM imaging was performed for beads, and their sizes were found to range from 68.81 µm to 351.0 µm. In addition, microbial growth in GIS was indicated for 3 h at intervals of one hour. 0.75% fructooligosaccharide plus 2% alginate capsules yielded the highest viability in a simulated gastric environment. At the end of 3 h, these capsules were decreased 0.39±0.03 logarithmic cycle, but the non-encapsulated control sample was decreased 2.10±0.16 log. The control sample was decreased by 5.8 log cycle in the simulated bile environment, but capsules were decreased by 2.5-3.4 log cycle on average. The result was statistically significant and showed that the encapsulation process protected the survival of microorganisms in GIS.   Key words: Encapsulation, gastrointestinal system, lactic acid bacteria, survival rate.