Abstract:
Objective Effect of encapsulation to protect Bacillus mucilaginosus from thermal shock was evaluated for formulation optimization.
Method Rates of survival and activation of B. mucilaginosus encapsulated with trehalose, skimmed milk powder, and/or modified H-MS medical stone after spray-drying were determined. Optimal formulation for the encapsulation was obtained using the response surface method.
Result The survival rate of the naked B. mucilaginosus was (34.15±1.07)%. In contrast, the encapsulation with trehalose significantly improved the rate to (52.17±1.08)% (P<0.01), while with H-MS, (51.64±0.77)% (P<0.01) and with skimmed milk powder, (43.67±1.62)% (P<0.05). Furthermore, a combined use of trehalose at 4.33%, skimmed milk powder at 2.90%, and H-MS at 7.57% for the encapsulation, the survival reached (73.32±0.76)% with a microbial count of 1.12×109 CFU·g−1.
Conclusion The three encapsulation materials, especially, when they were applied in combination, significantly raised the B. mucilaginosus survival rate under a heat treatment. The scanning electron microscopic image revealed that trehalose and skimmed milk powder immobilized the bacteria cells in H-MS pores producing an effective thermal insulation that sheltered the encapsulated microbes.