Influence of the prebiotics hi-maize, inulin and rice bran on the viability of pectin microparticles containing Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 obtained by internal gelation/emulsification

Microparticle size, encapsulation efficiency and probiotic viability for resistance to simulated gastrointestinal conditions and stability under different storage conditions for 120 days were studied. The size of the microparticles ranged from 24.4 μm (pectin treatment) to 462 μm (pectin + inulin treatment). The pectin + rice bran and pectin + inulin encapsulation matrices presented the highest encapsulation efficiency, 91.24% and 90.59%, respectively. All treatments provided greater protection to the microorganism after passage through the simulated gastrointestinal tract when compared to the free microorganism. Regarding the viability in different storage conditions, at 25 °C the probiotics remained viable in all treatments for 120 days. At the temperature of −18 °C, the pectin + hi-maize and pectin + rice bran treatments preserved the microorganism viable for 90 days. At 7 °C, the pectin + rice bran treatment remained viable during the 120 days of storage.