Abstract

Chia seed mucilage (CM), flaxseed mucilage (FM), and inulin (INL) were used as encapsulating agents to evaluate the possibility of increasing the survival ofLactobacillus caseivar.rhamnosus, renamed recently toLacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, after spray drying. Moreover, the viability of encapsulatedL. rhamnosuswas determined during the 250 day storage period at 4 degrees C. In a second stage, the conditions that maximized the survival ofL. rhamnosuswere evaluated on other probiotic bacteria (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum,Bifidobacterium infantis, andBifidobacterium longum). Additionally, the viability of encapsulated probiotics during the 60 day storage period at 4 and 25 degrees C was evaluated. The conditions that maximize the survival ofL. rhamnosus(90%) predicted by a face-centered central composite design were 14.4% w/v of maltodextrin, 0.6% w/v of CM, and 90 degrees C of inlet air temperature. Additionally, under these encapsulating conditions, the survival ofL. plantarum,B. infantis, andB. longumwas 95%, 97%, and 96%, respectively. The probiotic viability improved during storage at 4 degrees C but decreased at 25 degrees C. The highest viability values obtained for probiotics during spray drying and during storage suggest a thermoprotector effect of CM, which would ensure an optimal probiotic efficacy in the product, thus promoting its utilization in the food industry.