Preparation and mechanism of Lactobacillus plantarum and curcumin co-encapsulated in alginate-gelatin hydrogel beads

Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) and curcumin (CUR) were co-encapsulated in sodium alginate– Lactobacillus plantarum– curcumin–gelatin (ALG–LP–CUR–GE) hydrogel beads to evaluate the synergistic function of probiotics and prebiotics. The encapsulation efficiency of LP and CUR peaked at 84.6 % and 94.7 %, respectively. Results of scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and X-ray diffraction confirmed the encapsulation of LP and CUR in the hydrogel beads. In vitro digestion suggested that both CUR and LP can achieve successful release in the simulated intestinal fluid. The release kinetics of CUR showed that it exhibited predominantly Fickian release and non-Fickian release in gastric fluid and intestinal fluid, respectively. The application of co-encapsulated hydrogel beads in mimic milk tea illustrated that the viable count of LP remained above the minimum recommended threshold of 10 7  CFU/mL, offering a promising avenue for the delivery of synergistic probiotic and prebiotic functionalities.