Simultaneous Encapsulation of Probiotic Bacteria (Lactococcus lactis, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum) in Calcium Alginate Hydrogels

Vinceković, Marko; Maslov Bandić, Luna; Oštarić, Fabijan; Kiš, Marta; Zdolec, Nevijo; Marić, Ivan; Šegota, Suzana; Zelić, Hana; Mikulec, Nataša (2025) Simultaneous Encapsulation of Probiotic Bacteria (Lactococcus lactis, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum) in Calcium Alginate Hydrogels. Gels, 11 (1). ISSN 2310-2861

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Abstract

Encapsulation in alginate hydrogel microspheres is an effective method for protecting and improving the survival of lactic acid bacteria in different environments. This research aims to expand the knowledge about the structure/property relationship of calcium alginate microspheres loaded with a mixture of autochthonous probiotic bacteria (Lactococcus lactis and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum). A novel hydrogel formulation (FORMLAB) was prepared by ionic gelation and the molecular interactions between the FORMLAB constituents, surface morphology, structure, swelling degree, and release profile were characterized. The simultaneous encapsulation of two bacterial cultures in the same compartment does not diminish their viability. The binding of calcium ions to bacterial cells creates favorable conditions for the propagation of the encapsulated bacteria. The molecular interactions between the FORMLAB constituents are complex, involving mainly hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions. With a very high degree of swelling followed by low crosslinking, the surface of the microspheres covered with bacterial cells and diffusion through the hydrogel matrix allow for the delivery of probiotics at the right time. The findings suggest that bacterial cells are efficiently delivered from calcium alginate microspheres, offering promising applications in the development of functional foods, especially in cheese production.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	simultaneous encapsulation; Lactococcus lactis; Lactiplantibacillus plantarum; calcium alginate hydrogel
Subjects:	BIOTECHNICAL SCIENCES > Agronomy
Divisions:	Division of Electronics Division of Physical Chemistry
Projects:	Project title Project leader Project code Project type Centar za sigurnost i kvalitetu hrane- UNSPECIFIED KK.01.1.1.02.0004 EK Potencijal mikroinkapsulacije u proizvodnji sireva-SIR JE IN Nataša Mikulec; Snježana Kazazić; Nevijo Zdolec KK.01.1.1.04.0058 EK
Depositing User:	Ema Buhin Šaler
Date Deposited:	26 Mar 2026 15:37
URI:	http://fulir.irb.hr/id/eprint/11512
DOI:	10.3390/gels11010034

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