DEVELOPMENT OF MICROENCAPSULATED PEDIOCOCCUS PENTOSACEUS MR001 BY EXTRUSION TECHNIQUE FOR ENHANCED PROBIOTIC STABILITY

Abstract

Pediococcus pentosaceus MR001 is a probiotic lactic acid bacteria with promising applications in aquaculture, particularly for shrimp farming. However, the practical use of probiotics is often limited by low stability and reduced viability under environmental stress conditions. Therefore, this study aimed to improve the stability of P. pentosaceusMR001 through microencapsulation using the extrusion technique with alginate and chitosan as coating materials.The encapsulated probiotic beads were evaluated for storage stability, bile salt tolerance, NaCl tolerance, thermotolerance, and morphological characteristics. Viability of encapsulated and free cells was monitored during storage at 4°C for 0, 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 30 days. Probiotic properties were further assessed under bile salt concentrations of 0.1% and 0.3%, NaCl concentrations of 1.5% and 3%, and thermal conditions at 30°C, 45°C, and 60°C. Morphological characteristics of the microcapsules were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).The results demonstrated that encapsulated cells consistently showed higher survival than free cells under all stress conditions tested. Encapsulated cells retained detectable viability up to 21 days of storage, whereas free cells became undetectable after 14 days. Under bile salt and NaCl stress conditions, encapsulated cells exhibited significantly lower reductions in viability compared with free cells. In thermal stability assays, encapsulation provided strong protection at 30°C and 60°C, while both groups showed comparable reductions at 45°C. SEM analysis revealed porous alginate–chitosan bead structures suitable for bacterial entrapment.These findings indicate that extrusion encapsulation effectively enhances the stability and stress tolerance of P. pentosaceus MR001 and may support its future application as a probiotic ingredient in aquaculture industries.