Survival of encapsulated Lactiplantibacillus plantarum probiotics on soft bread throughout gastrointestinal tract transit: Physicochemical characteristics, sensory profile, and functional activity

Bread is one of the most widely consumed foods in the world and is part of the regular diet in many countries. However, white flour bread lacks many valuable nutrients. Inclusion of probiotics can result on bread's quality improvement, but their viability is often affected by food processing and digestion. In this study, maltodextrin and sweet whey were used to encapsulate Lactiplantibacillus plantarum via spray drying. The effect on probiotics survival during heating, storage, and gastrointestinal tract transit, simulated by the INFOGEST in vitro digestion model, was studied. Quality characteristics, sensory analysis, and consumer acceptance were also evaluated. Spray dried bacteria survived in bread during baking at 180 °C and 15 day-storage with a final viability of 7.6 log CFU/g. Encapsulation also ensured the survival of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum during digestion (6.1 log CFU/g), allowing them to be released in the small intestine to exert their health benefits. A difference in bacterial viability between bread crust and crumb was observed, related to oxygen availability and moisture content. A sensory panel did not identify significant differences between bread produced with and without encapsulated bacteria. These results provide new insights regarding addition of encapsulated probiotics for developing functional bakery products favored by consumers.