Plant Extracts in Probiotic Encapsulation: Evaluation of their Effects on Strains Survivability in Juice and Drinkable Yogurt During Storage and an in-vitro Gastrointestinal Model

The present study concerned with the evaluation of the adding value from the addition of plant extracts, including those from moringa, fennel, sage and green tea, during alginate encapsulation on the viability of probiotic bacteria (L. plantarum DSM 20205 and P. acidilactici DSM 20238) in fruit juice (i.e., kiwi, prickly pear and carrot juice) and drinkable yoghurt throughout storage at 4°C. The results revealed that the survival rates of L. plantarum DSM 20205 and P. acidilactici DSM 20238 cells encapsulated with 0.05% (w/v) moringa extract were significantly higher than those of cells encapsulated with fennel and saga after storage for 30 days. The In vitro digestibility behaviour and survival of the novel capsules were studied in terms of the survival of L. plantarum DSM 20205 and P. acidilactici DSM 20238 based on sequential exposure to simulated salivary, gastric and intestinal fluids. This novel encapsulation additive significantly increased the survival of L. plantarum DSM 20205 and P. acidilactici DSM 20238 compared with the control capsules cells in simulated digestive fluids. Therefore, the appropriate amount of moringa extract for use in culture encapsulation was determined after the addition to fruit juices and drinkable yoghurt, and the effect of this extract was compared with the effect of adding green tea extract (a standard plant extract). Green tea and moringa extracts enhanced the stability of probiotic beads in all products compared to the controls after storage. Encapsulated L. plantarum DSM 20205 and P. acidilactici DSM 20238 showed better survivabilities than the control capsules. The studied strains showed better survival in prickly pear juice and drinkable yoghurt throughout storage at 4°C for 30 days