Evaluation of encapsulation techniques of probiotics for yoghurt

Immobilized microbial cells have been used extensively in various industrial and scientific endeavours. However, immobilized cells have not been used widely for environmental applications. This review examines many of the scientific and technical aspects involved in using immobilized microbial cells in environmental applications, with a particular focus on cells encapsulated in biopolymer gels. Some advantages and limitations of using immobilized cells in bioreactor studies are also discussed.

Environmental applications of immobilized microbial cells: A review

Immobilized enzymes are used in organic syntheses to fully exploit the technical and economical advantages of biocatalysts based on isolated enzymes. Immobilization enables the separation of the enzyme catalyst easily from the reaction mixture, and can lower the costs of enzymes dramatically. This is true for immobilized enzyme preparations that provide a well-balanced overall performance, based on reasonable immobilization yields, low mass transfer limitations, and high operational stability. There are many methods available for immobilization which span from binding on prefabricated carrier materials to incorporation into in situ prepared carriers. Operative binding forces vary between weak multiple adsorptive interactions and single attachments through strong covalent binding.Which of the methods is the most appropriate is usually a matter of the desired applications. It is therefore the intention of this paper to outline the common immobilization methods and reaction technologies to facilitate proper applications of immobilized enzymes.

Immobilized Enzymes: Methods and Applications

Microalgae immobilization: current techniques and uses.

The history of the role of probiotics for human health is one century old and several definitions have been derived hitherto. One of them, launched by Huis in’t Veld and Havenaar (1991) defines probiotics as being “mono or mixed cultures of live microorganisms which, when applied to a man or an animal (e.g., as dried cells or as a fermented product), beneficially affect the host by improving the properties of the indigenous microflora”. Probiotics are living microorganisms which survive gastric, bile, and pancreatic secretions, attach to epithelial cells and colonize the human intestine (Del Piano et al. 2006). It is estimated that an adult human intestine contains more than 400 different bacterial species (Finegold et al. 1977) and approximately 1014 bacterial cells (which is approximately ten times the total number of eukaryotic cells in the human body). The bacterial cells can be classified into three categories, namely, beneficial, neutral or harmful, with respect to human health. Among the beneficial bacteria are Bifidobacterium and Lactobacilli. The proportion of bifidobacteria represents the third most common genus in the gastrointestinal tract, while Bacteroides predominates at 86% of the total flora in the adult gut, followed by Eubacterium. Infant-type bifidobacteria B. bifidum are replaced with adult-type bifidobacteria, B. longum and B. adolescentis. With weaning and aging, the intestinal flora profile changes. Bifidobacteria decrease, while certain kinds of harmful bacteria increase. Changes in the intestinal flora are affected not only by aging but also by extrinsic factors, for example, stress, diet, drugs, bacterial contamination and constipation. Therefore, daily consumption of probiotic products is recommended for good health and longevity. There are numerous claimed beneficial effects and therapeutic applications of probiotic bacteria in humans, such as maintenance of normal intestinal microflora, improvement of constipation, treatment of diarrhea, enhancement of the immune system, reduction of lactose-intolerance, reduction of serum cholesterol levels, anticarcinogenic activity, and improved nutritional value of foods (Kailasapathy and Chin 2000; Lourens-Hattingh and Viljoen 2001; Mattila-Sandholm et al. 2002). The mechanisms by which probiotics exert their effects are largely unknown, but may involve modifying gut pH, antagonizing pathogens through production of antimicrobial and antibacterial compounds, competing for pathogen binding, and receptor cites, as well as for available nutrients and growth factors, stimulating immunomodulatory cells, and producing lactase (Kopp-Hoolihan 2001).

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Encapsulation of Probiotics for use in Food Products

Conditions for the gelation k-carrageenan, which is a new polymer for immobilization of enzymes and microbial cells, were investigated in detail k-Carrageenan was easily induced to gel by contact with metal ions, amines, amino acid derivatives, and water-miscible organic solvents By using this property of k-carrageenan, the immobilization of enzymes and microbial cells was investigated Several kinds of enzymes and microbial cells were easily immobilized with high enzyme activities Immobilized preparations were easily tailor-made to various shape such as cube, bead, and membrane The obtained immobilized preparations were stable, and columns packed with them were used for continuous enzyme reaction for a long period Their operational stabilities were enhanced by hardening with glutaraldehyde and hexamethylenediamine

Kazo Yamamoto

Papers

Immobilization of enzymes and microbial cells using carrageenan as matrix.