Microencapsulation of Probiotics: Challenges and Future Prospects (Food Science and Technology Series)

The book "Microencapsulation of Probiotics: Challenges and Future Prospects" addresses a current and extensively researched topic by discussing the potential of incorporating encapsulated probiotics into food to achieve numerous health benefits. When consumed, probiotics adhere to and colonize the intestinal tract, stimulating the immune system and maintaining mucosal integrity. They also produce various compounds that act to reduce or prevent pathogens and diseases. However, to ensure their delivery to the intestinal tract, encapsulation systems have been developed using various processes and materials to protect probiotics from adverse environmental conditions such as acidity, temperature, and oxygen, among others, which can lead to the loss of viability of these microorganisms. This book covers the most commonly employed encapsulation techniques and materials, presenting the potential of encapsulation systems based on recent studies. These include spray drying, coacervation, ionic gelation, and emulsion, as well as combinations of encapsulation techniques and the use of coating layers to enhance probiotic protection and promote controlled delivery. The significant advancements in probiotic encapsulation offered by science are notable, providing not only probiotic protection but also opportunities to use renewable, biocompatible, ecological, and safe-for-consumption materials, in addition to scalable and cost-effective techniques. This scenario allows for diverse applications, increasing the availability of encapsulated probiotic products in the market.