Effect of encapsulation methods and materials on the survival and viability of Lactobacillus acidophilus: A review

Consumption of probiotics is an area of research that has rapidly expanded in the last years. Lactobacilli are one of the most important probiotic bacteria owing to their beneficial impacts on human health. The most important challenge is the survival of probiotics against several conditions during processing, as well as harsh environments during gastrointestinal digestion. As an alternative to the preservation of probiotic bacteria, different encapsulation processes have been proved. Several methods and materials are currently used for probiotic encapsulation, which influences the survivability of probiotics. Thus, this review aims to understand and summarise the effects of the methods and materials used in the encapsulation of Lactobacillus acidophilus, and its consequences on their survival and viability under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Among several studies reported, the alginate capsules obtained by external ionic gelation through extrusion and chitosan coating showed the highest encapsulation yield of 99.33%. Lastly, future research directions on the topic are suggested.