Synbiotification of fruit juices by microencapsulated lactic acid bacteria strains

Probiotics are "live micro-organisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host". For the present study three different strains of Lactic acid Bacteria were procured from NCIM, Pune and Dairy Science College, Bangalore. The strains include L. casei, L. brevis and L. lactis. These LAB strains were co-microencapsulated with the prebiotics to form synbiotic food products. These synbiotics formed with highly efficient strains of probiotics and are highly bioactive. Prebiotics are the non digestible food ingredient that beneficially affects the host by selectively stimulating the growth of bacteria in the colon. The growth of LAB was studied by turbidometric measurements in the presence and absence of prebiotics at 48h and 72h of incubation. The prebiotics like pectin, oats and a combination of both was seen to increase the growth of the different strain of LAB. Co-microencapsulation of the synbiotic strains were done using Sodium Alginate followed by inoculating them into different fruit juices (grape, watermelon, mosambi, and pine apple) for fermentation. The synbioticated substrates were evaluated for pH and turbidity and were tested for shelf life. The pH level decreased with the increase in acid production in the fermented juices, the highest was observed in synbiotic grape juices. This was followed by increase in turbidity of the samples. The viability of the immobilized synbiotic cultures remained for a longer period of time. Understanding the synbiotic phenomena between the strains is of prime importance for the control of the cultures and could be used for developing a functionally healthy beverage or functional food to promote health and nutrition of the consumer. Prospective studies on mechanisms of the probiotic activities may enable their new medical applications for lactose intolerant and diabetic patients.