Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
Open Access

Abstract

Probiotics must be delivered alive to exert a positive health effects in site of action (the intestine). Once reach the intestine, they should establish themselves and exert a positive health effects. They must survive the stomach acidic, bile acid and others degradative enzyme through intestinal tract. The aim of current study was to evaluate the performance of microencapsulated Lactobacillus casei using alginate gel matrix to facilitate a suitable carrier system to enhance this objective and confer protection from the acidity. A solution with lyophilized L. casei at 5 g/L (108 CFU/mL) was prepared and mixed (1:1) with sodium alginate solution at 2%. As a hardening solution, calcium chloride at 0.1 M with gently stirring was used. Microencapsulator provide by BUCHI (Encapsulated B-390) was used. Simulated gastric juice (SGJ) with 9 g/L of sodium chloride and 3g/L of pepsin was prepared. Different pH was adjusted with 1 M HCl. 400 mg of microspheres containing L. casei were mixed in 20 mL of SGJ with pH adjusted at 2.0; 2.5; 3.0; 3.5 and 4.0 and incubated until 120 min at 37 oC and 50 rpm. Microencapsulated Lactobacillus were filtered and dissolved in sodium citrate to released and count CFU in supernatant. The best results were obtained at pH 4.0 (over 70% of survival at 90 minute). At pH 3.5 the survival was over 20% at 60 min, however at pH less than 3.0 there was a rapid loss of viability and the survival was null at 90 min. Then, a microencapsulated is an available technique to maintain viability of probiotics to protect the passage through intestinal tract.

Biography

Araceli Olivares is a Biochemical Engineer at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso (PUCV), Chile. She is a Researcher of the Center for Studies on Healthy Food (CREAS) since 2011. She has 3 published patents (one in Chilean and two in Unites State Patent Office) and 5 application patents in USPTO.

Email: araceliolivares@creas.cl