A Comparative Analysis of Microencapsulation Methods for Probiotic Bacteria and Its Release in Gut

Abstract

Probiotics are used widely in the world to treat gastrointestinal problems that arise due to an imbalance in the natural microflora of the body. They are live organisms such as yeasts and bacteria like Lactobacillus spp. that help maintain a natural environment in the human body. Probiotics usually come in powder forms that are mixed and ingested with water, but the main issue that arises is their low shelf life and reproducibility. Oftentimes, when probiotics are ingested, they leave a bad aftertaste and can’t be consumed after 6 to 8 months of packaging. Furthermore, the packaging methodology causes loss of bacteria thus causing low bacterial count to reach the gut. To tackle this problem alginate coated liposomes were suggested as a suitable candidate for small size and biodegradable probiotic delivery of Lactobacillus rhamnosus. The bacteria were first quantified followed by encapsulation by two conventional methods of extrusion and emulsion, followed by encapsulation using alginate coated liposomes. The encapsulation systems were then characterized and confirmed for complete encapsulation by plating, SEM, DLS, FTIR and optical microscopy. Following this, the encapsulation systems were tested for their survival in gastrointestinal tracts at the pH of stomach and small intestine, which is their place of release. After every test, the samples were enumerated, and CFU/ml was plotted to check the survivability of bacteria in the proposed method of encapsulation.