Farooq Muhammad Umar, Bishoyi Ashok Kumar, Mohammed Nameer Khairullah, Ballal Suhas, Singh Abhayveer, S Supriya, Ahmed Faiyaz, Shoukat Laraib, Akram Noor, Islam Fakhar
Department of Food Science, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Marwadi University Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Marwadi University, Rajkot, 360003, Gujarat, India.
Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins. 2025 Aug 1. doi: 10.1007/s12602-025-10681-5.
This research seeks to improve the viability and stability of Lactobacillus rhamnosus by microencapsulating it in polymeric microgels doped with magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles. The main aim was to explore the ability of MgO-doped sodium alginate microgels to enhance the resistance of the probiotic under gastrointestinal and refrigeration conditions. Microgels were prepared by emulsification method with sodium alginate (2% w/v) and cross-linked with 2% w/v calcium chloride, whereas MgO nanoparticles were added at levels between 0.5 and 2% (w/v). The use of MgO was based on its established antimicrobial shielding, cold storage stability, and bioadhesive characteristics that can enhance encapsulation efficiency and cell survivability. Characterization of composite microgels was conducted; SEM analysis indicated that the prepared microgels had a uniform morphology with uniform particle sizes and a smooth surface, indicating successful encapsulation and structural development. FTIR spectroscopy assured the existence of typical functional groups and molecular interactions between the MgO nanoparticles and polymer matrix, verifying efficient chemical stability and encapsulation. These compositional and structural assurances validate the integrity and effectiveness of the developed microgels for targeted probiotic delivery. In vitro digestion assays showed a notable improvement in survivability of probiotics for encapsulated cells (8.64 ± 0.23 log CFU/ml) as opposed to free cells (5.98 ± 0.14 log CFU/ml) after 120 min under gastrointestinal simulated conditions. In addition, thermal stability analysis showed that Mg(OH)₂, sodium alginate, and CaCl₂ microgels maintained probiotic viability (7.3 ± 0.20 log CFU/ml) under refrigerated storage for up to 28 days. Encapsulation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus in Mg(OH)₂-doped polymeric microgels enhanced viability under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. This improvement is attributed to the buffering capacity of Mg(OH)₂ and its role in strengthening microgel integrity for better protection. These results show the uniqueness of MgO-doped microgels in enhancing both short-term and long-term viability of probiotic encapsulates with potential applications in functional food preparations.
本研究旨在通过将鼠李糖乳杆菌微囊化于掺杂氧化镁（MgO）纳米颗粒的聚合物微凝胶中，提高其活力和稳定性。主要目的是探索掺杂MgO的海藻酸钠微凝胶在胃肠道和冷藏条件下增强益生菌抗性的能力。微凝胶采用乳化法，以2%（w/v）的海藻酸钠制备，并与2%（w/v）的氯化钙交联，而MgO纳米颗粒的添加量为0.5%至2%（w/v）。使用MgO是基于其已确立的抗菌屏蔽、冷藏稳定性和生物粘附特性，这些特性可提高包封效率和细胞存活率。对复合微凝胶进行了表征；扫描电子显微镜（SEM）分析表明，制备的微凝胶具有均匀的形态、均匀的粒径和光滑的表面，表明包封成功且结构形成良好。傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）证实了MgO纳米颗粒与聚合物基质之间存在典型的官能团和分子相互作用，验证了有效的化学稳定性和包封效果。这些组成和结构上的保证证实了所制备的微凝胶用于靶向益生菌递送的完整性和有效性。体外消化试验表明，在胃肠道模拟条件下120分钟后，包封细胞中的益生菌存活率（8.64±0.23 log CFU/ml）相对于游离细胞（5.98±0.14 log CFU/ml）有显著提高。此外，热稳定性分析表明，Mg(OH)₂、海藻酸钠和氯化钙微凝胶在冷藏储存长达28天的情况下保持了益生菌的活力（7.3±0.20 log CFU/ml）。将鼠李糖乳杆菌包封于掺杂Mg(OH)₂ 的聚合物微凝胶中可增强其在模拟胃肠道条件下的活力。这种改善归因于Mg(OH)₂ 的缓冲能力及其在加强微凝胶完整性以实现更好保护方面的作用。这些结果表明，掺杂MgO的微凝胶在增强益生菌包封物的短期和长期活力方面具有独特性，在功能性食品制备中具有潜在应用价值。
