Evaluation of Microencapsulated Synbiotic Preparations Containing Lactobionic Acid

The aim of this paper was to assess the prebiotic properties of lactobionic acid in the human gastrointestinal model. Five different strains of probiotic, or potentially probiotic, bacteria were used in the microencapsulation process; these were Lactobacillus casei Shirota, Lactococcus lactis ATCC1, Lactobacillus fermentum, Bifidobacterium bifidum DSM 20456, and Bifidobacterium bifidum DSM 20082. Starch with a concentration of 4% (w/v) and a degree of substitution of 0.03 was used to produce the microcapsules. The alginian microcapsules we produced functioned as a protective barrier for the probiotic microorganisms closed in them, protecting them from adverse conditions in the human digestive tract. The microorganisms could thus survive the encapsulation process and the in vitro model digestion process while retaining the ability to produce biomass. Factors such as pH and time affect the solution of alginate microcapsules. The capsule solution began when a pH of 7.4 was reached; this corresponded to pH in the target probiotic site, an in vitro model of the colon. The capsules had completely dissolved after 24 h of digestion at a pH of 8. The addition of lactobionic acid stimulated the growth of probiotic and potentially probiotic bacteria, thus confirming its prebiotic properties.