Microencapsulation of presumptive probiotic bacteria Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CCMA 0359: Technology and potential application in cream cheese

Microencapsulation appears to be a promising technique for protecting probiotics against conditions found in gastrointestinal digestion. Therefore, the survival of free and microencapsulated Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CCMA 0359, a potential probiotic strain, into cream cheese during storage and simulated gastrointestinal digestion was evaluated. The influence of the microencapsulated probiotic on the physicochemical and sensory properties of the cream cheese was also evaluated. Microencapsulation significantly enhanced the protection of cells against simulated gastrointestinal digestion, regardless of the storage time, and the cell count was slightly higher (8.31 log cfu g−1) compared with the free cell count (8.07 log cfu g−1). The addition of the probiotic (notably microencapsulated cells) increased the acidity and decreased the pH of cream cheese during storage and did not affect consumer acceptance. Findings indicate cream cheese as an alternative vehicle for the potential probiotic L. plantarum CCMA 0359, without affecting the acceptance of the product.