Hu Liping, Huang Siyun, Xiong Tao, Peng Fei
School of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
J Food Sci. 2025 May;90(5):e70293. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.70293.
The application of spray drying for the production of probiotic microcapsules offers many attractive advantages, yet now there are concerns regarding probiotic survivability. This study explores the impact of quercetin (Que) in a whey protein isolate (WPI) and trehalose (TR) encapsulation matrix to improve probiotic survival during spray drying. Results showed that probiotic survival increased by 4.95-fold (p < 0.05) with Que supplementation than the probiotics capsulated using WPI and TR. Physicochemical characteristics analysis indicated that adding Que resulted in slight changes in the moisture and water activity of probiotic microcapsules and improved the gastrointestinal digestion resistance and storage stability. The particle size of the spray-dried microcapsules varied from 9.84 to 11.17 µm. Cell membrane analysis demonstrated that the probiotics encapsulated with the WPI-Que-TR complex exhibited higher integrity and fluidity than WPI-TR-coated probiotics. Moreover, introducing Que reduced the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids and increased the pyruvate kinase activity of probiotics, contributing to the maintenance of cell activity. Transcriptomic results suggested that Que upregulated genes associated with fatty acid synthesis and energy supply while downregulating certain genes involved in amino acid biosynthesis, enabling probiotics to exist better in harsh conditions. Therefore, those results indicated that the co-microencapsulation of probiotics and hydrophobic active substance-Que-was realized, and the mechanism by which Que affects probiotic activity during spray drying has been revealed, which provides a scientific foundation for co-encapsulating probiotics with hydrophobic actives. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: In a rapidly growing market, the demand for dry probiotics has surged, highlighting the need for mass production. Spray drying, with its low energy costs and sustainable process, is a promising method for microencapsulating bacteria in protective substrates, enhancing their resistance during storage, processing, and digestion. Que can improve the survival rate of probiotics during spray drying, offering a novel approach for incorporating flavonoids in the creation of probiotic microcapsules with activity and stability.
喷雾干燥在益生菌微胶囊生产中的应用具有诸多诱人优势，但目前人们对益生菌的存活率存在担忧。本研究探讨了槲皮素（Que）在乳清蛋白分离物（WPI）和海藻糖（TR）包封基质中对喷雾干燥过程中益生菌存活的影响。结果表明，与使用WPI和TR包封的益生菌相比，添加Que后益生菌存活率提高了4.95倍（p < 0.05）。理化特性分析表明，添加Que会使益生菌微胶囊的水分和水分活度略有变化，并提高了胃肠道消化抗性和储存稳定性。喷雾干燥微胶囊的粒径在9.84至11.17 µm之间。细胞膜分析表明，用WPI-Que-TR复合物包封的益生菌比WPI-TR包衣的益生菌具有更高的完整性和流动性。此外，引入Que降低了饱和脂肪酸与不饱和脂肪酸的比例，并提高了益生菌的丙酮酸激酶活性，有助于维持细胞活性。转录组学结果表明，Que上调了与脂肪酸合成和能量供应相关的基因，同时下调了某些参与氨基酸生物合成的基因，使益生菌能够在恶劣条件下更好地生存。因此，这些结果表明实现了益生菌与疏水性活性物质Que的共微胶囊化，并揭示了Que在喷雾干燥过程中影响益生菌活性的机制，为益生菌与疏水性活性物质共包封提供了科学依据。实际应用：在快速增长的市场中，对干益生菌的需求激增，凸显了大规模生产的必要性。喷雾干燥具有低能耗和可持续工艺的特点，是一种在保护性基质中微胶囊化细菌、提高其在储存、加工和消化过程中抗性的有前途的方法。Que可以提高喷雾干燥过程中益生菌的存活率，为在具有活性和稳定性的益生菌微胶囊制备中加入黄酮类化合物提供了一种新方法。
