Conception of novel protein-polysaccharide complex coacervation based on Hemp proteins and Kudzu starch for the microencapsulation of Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 probiotic strain

Limosilactobacillus reuteri probiotics were encapsulated in Kudzu starch (KS) and Hemp protein (HP) complex coacervates (CC), followed by spray drying, to enhance their stability and boost their viability. The optimized conditions for CC consisted of a KS:HP ratio of 1:2 (w/w) and pH 5.0. The techno-functional properties displayed the following decreasing order for water and fat holding capacities: KS > KS-HP (CC) > HP, with improved emulsifying properties for CC compared to the individual wall materials. Advantageously, upon in-vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion (SGID), KS-HP coacervation allowed refined antioxidant properties and higher inhibition levels of metabolic disorder markers than the individual KS and HP microparticles. Furthermore, upon encapsulation, KS-HP CC-encapsulated probiotics revealed higher bacterial cell viability than those of individual KS and HP-encapsulated probiotic cells, undergoing SGID (∼89 %), during 30 days storage (83.2 %), and after heat treatment (94.2 %), suggesting that KS-HP CC could be a promising encapsulating matrix for probiotic encapsulation for food applications.