The present study focused on the development, optimization, and evaluation of probiotic nutraceutical gummies containing Bacillus coagulans as a patient-friendly functional food delivery system. Owing to the growing demand for convenient nutraceutical products and the health benefits associated with probiotics, gummies were formulated using varying concentrations of pectin, inulin, and xylitol. A Quality by Design (QbD) approach coupled with Response Surface Methodology was employed to optimize formulation variables and critical quality attributes. The prepared gummies were evaluated for appearance, weight variation, pH, moisture content, texture, content uniformity, probiotic viability, and sensory acceptability. The optimized formulation demonstrated desirable texture, good sensory characteristics, and high probiotic survival. Statistical analysis indicated that pectin and inulin significantly affected hardness, moisture content, and probiotic viability. Stability studies under accelerated and long-term storage conditions revealed minimal changes in physicochemical properties and maintained viable probiotic counts within acceptable limits. Overall, the optimized Bacillus coagulans gummy formulation exhibited excellent quality, stability, and consumer acceptability, highlighting its potential as an effective nutraceutical delivery system. These findings support the use of probiotic gummies as a promising alternative to conventional probiotic dosage forms for improving patient compliance and promoting gastrointestinal health.
1M. Anusha, 1B. Jyoshnavi, 1S. Manikumari, 1S. Saipriya, 1S. Vamshi, 1V. Karthik, 1A. Sheshank Goud, 1*G. Tharun (Wed,) studied this question.