Effect of Chia Seed Mucilage on the Survival and Viability of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) Encapsulated by Spray Drying in Cross-Linked Alginate Matrices During Storage Conditions, Heat Treatment and Gastrointestinal Digestion

The high temperatures of the spray-drying process can cause thermal inactivation of probiotic bacteria. This study evaluated the effect of chia seed mucilage (CM) on the survival and viability of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) encapsulated by spray-drying in cross-linked alginate matrices (CLAM). Two types of microcapsules were used: CLAM without CM (M0-LGG) and with CM (M1-LGG). Viability was assessed under storage conditions (4 °C and 25 °C), heat treatments, and gastrointestinal simulations. The results show that LGG survival improved after spray drying in CLAM (M0-LGG), reaching levels above 92%. Microcapsules containing CM (M1-LGG) maintained high viability, exceeding 8 log CFU/g, under storage at 4 °C for 60 days. CM demonstrated the ability to preserve LGG viability during gastrointestinal digestion (above 6 log CFU/g) and to confer thermal stability under heat stress conditions at 80 °C for 5 min. This study can be a valuable reference for the food industry, as the incorporation of CM as an encapsulating agent for probiotics can improve their viability under adverse processing and storage conditions.