Abstract
The aim of this study was to protect the probiotic Bifidobacterium longum (strain 22348) against the harsh conditions in the stomach (e.g., acidic pH) and small intestine (e.g., exposure to bile salts and enzymes) upon oral administration, as well as against inactivation during storage (e.g., upon contact with oxygen). A variety of probiotic suspensions in water and phosphate buffer, optionally containing poly (methyl acrylate-co-methyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid, Eudraguard® biotic), inulin, alginate and maltodextrin were spray-dried under various conditions.
Highlights
- Spray drying with Eudraguard, inulin, alginate and maltodextrin preserves probiotic viability.
- Microspheres protect Bifidobacterium longum from gastric acidity and bile salts.
- Encapsulation matrix ensures probiotic stability during storage at various temperatures.
- Optimised process yields high encapsulation efficiency (97 %) and production yield (90 %).
- Formulation combines enteric protection and prebiotic support for targeted intestinal delivery.
The viability of the probiotic in the obtained powder was monitored upon exposure to 0.1 M HCl and phosphate buffer pH 6.8 containing 0–3 % bile salts. The viability of the bacterium was also monitored during storage at −20, 4 or 25 °C for 4 weeks. Interestingly, spray-drying a suspension of Bifidobacterium longum in phosphate buffer pH 7.4 containing 5.9 % Eudraguard® biotic, 2 % inulin, 0.1 % sodium alginate and 3 % maltodextrin using a Büchi-290 laboratory-scale spray dryer at an inlet temperature of 87 °C, aspirator flow rate of 31.5 m3/h, drying gas (N2) flow rate of 473 L/h and feed flow rate of 2.5 mL/min showed the most promising results.
It allowed to effectively protect the probiotic: not only during manufacturing & storage, but also upon exposure to media mimicking the conditions in the stomach and small intestine. These process conditions also provided a high encapsulation efficiency (97 %) and production yield (90 %).
Read more here
Materials
The following ingredients were used as received: Inulin (Orafti HSI: “standard inulin”; Beneo-Orafti, Oreye, Belgium); sodium alginate (Vivapharm® PHU 170 S1; JRS Pharma, Rosenberg, Germany); maltodextrin (Glucidex® 6; Roquette Frères, Lestrem, France); an aqueous dispersion of poly(methyl acrylate-co-methyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) (Eudraguard® biotic 30 % w/w; Evonik Nutrition & Care, Darmstadt, Germany); sodium hydroxide (NaOH, white pellets; Fisher Scientific, Loughborough, UK).
Vita D’Amico, Florence Siepmann, Juergen Siepmann, Christel Neut, Nunzio Denora, Angela Assunta Lopedota, Microencapsulation of the probiotic Bifidobacterium longum by spray-drying: Formulation and process optimisation, Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, Volume 115, Part 1, 2026, 107670, ISSN 1773-2247, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jddst.2025.107670.
Read more on Marine Ingredients & Omega 3s here:
