Protecting probiotics by microencapsulation

Abstract

Probiotics are live bacteria which transit the gastrointestinal tract and in doing so benefit the health of the consumer. An approach currently receiving considerable interest is the provision of a physical barrier against adverse environmental conditions for the living probiotic cells. In the past, microorganisms were immobilised or entrapped in polymer matrices for use in bio-technological applications. The physical retention of the cells in the matrix facilitated the separation of the cells from their metabolites. As the technique of immobilisation or entrapment improved, the immobilised cell technology has evolved into encapsulation of live bacterial cells.