OPTIMIZATION OF THE ENCAPSULATION OF LACTOBACILLUS RHAMNOSUS ATCC 7469 BY EXTRUSION AND SUBSEQUENT LYOPHILIZATION ON PASSION FRUIT FROM CAATINGA

Aim: The encapsulation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 by extrusion and subsequent lyophilization for addition on passion fruit from Caatinga (Passiflora cincinnata Mast.) juice was evaluated. Methods: A central composite rotatable design was employed to investigate the effects of pectin and CaCl2 concentrations on the encapsulation efficiency (EE). Wet beads were lyophilized with or without sucrose as cryoprotectant. Free and encapsulated cells were added on juice to evaluate cell viability during the refrigerated storage. Results: EE achieved 90.56 ± 0.48 % after the extrusion method, and values between 70.36 ± 0.35 and 87.29 ± 0.24 % were observed after lyophilization. Sucrose did not influence the cell viability in lyophilized beads. Higher viabilities were found in free and encapsulated cells without lyophilization (8.2 and 7.28 log CFU/mL, respectively) at 120 days of storage. Conclusion: Passion fruit from Caatinga proved to be an effective vehicle for the incorporation of probiotics.