Survival of Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 Encapsulated Along with Spirulina platensis and the Application of this Capsule in Sour Cherry Juice as a Probiotic Drink

This study investigated the effects of the microencapsulation of Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 along with Spirulina platensis on bacterial survival in sour cherry juice containing synbiotic capsules. S. platensis powder was used as a prebiotic and the microencapsulation of bacteria and S. platensis was conducted using the spray dryer method. S. platensis and bacteria were encapsulated in maltodextrin and cross-linked alginate. Bacterial survival, thermal tolerance, morphology, efficiency, and resistance under simulated gastric and intestinal conditions in sour cherry juice were examined. The results showed a decrease in probiotic bacterial death in sour cherry juice containing bacteria and algae encapsulated at 4°C on the 28th day of storage (7.9 ± 0.10) (Log CFU/mL) as well as an increase in temperature resistance in fruit juice containing bacteria capsules and S. platensis. The results of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed that the capsules contained L. acidophilus La-5 and S. platensis with round shapes and had an average diameter of 12.80 ± 1.43 µm. The examination of bacterial encapsulation efficiency indicated that the highest and lowest values for bacteria encapsulated with Spirulina and bacteria capsules without Spirulina were 81.9% and 79.86%, respectively. In addition, organoleptic analysis of sour cherry juice at 4°C and at the end of storage duration in the refrigerator demonstrated the highest general acceptance (4.60 ± 0.10) for the juice, containing bacteria and Spirulina compared to other bacterial groups (p<0/05). L. acidophilus La-5 capsules containing Spirulina showed the largest viability during the 0-10 min period and 60-80°C temperature (p<0/05). Moreover, bacteria encapsulated with Spirulina exhibited the highest survival rate under simulated gastric and intestinal conditions over a 0-120 min incubation time. Overall, using S. platensis as a prebiotic can significantly stimulate the growth of L. acidophilus La-5 as a beneficial probiotic, which results in the production of healthier and more nutritious sour cherry juice.