Agro-industrial by-products are promising source of biopolymers, including proteins and polysaccharides. This study was designed to evaluate the flaxseed oil cake extract (FOCE) as natural encapsulating material and carrier for probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnous GG (LGG). The powders were obtained using three spray drying inlet temperatures (110 °C, 140 °C, 170 °C), and reconstituted. The influence of temperature on water activity, morphology, chemical composition, flowability and cohesiveness of the powders was estimated. For all variants, the survival of bacteria during spray drying, and simulated passage through the gastrointestinal tract was evaluated. The preservation of LGG probiotic features such as cholesterol reduction, hydrophobicity and adhesion to mucin were examined. Results revealed that all physicochemical and functional characteristics of the powders were affected by the inlet temperature. This study demonstrated that FOCE is an appropriate matrix for spray drying (due to flaxseed proteins and polysaccharides) providing high survivability of bacteria (89.41–96.32%), that passed meaningfully through the simulated gastrointestinal tract (4.39–5.97 log reduction), largely maintaining their probiotic properties, being a promising environmentally-friendly carrier for probiotic LGG.

The objective of the study was to determine the effects of probiotic bacteria Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis on microbiological properties of feed mixtures and on the digestive tract content as applicable to production traits and carcass characteristics of fatteners. The experiment was performed on 83,838 fatteners from four successive (insertions) productions in two groups. From the seventy eighth day of age till marketing to the slaughter plant, the pigs were supplied with BioPlus YC probiotic (Chr. Hansen) in the amount of 400 g/t. The preparation contained a complex of probiotic bacteria Bacillus licheniformis DSM 5749, and Bacillus subtilis DSM 5750 spores in a 1:1 ratio. From the fourth insertion, after reaching a body weight of approximately 112 kg, 60 fatteners were selected from each group to measure carcass quality and half of them for meat quality evaluation. Moreover, microbiological analyses in feed and colon were performed. The study showed that BioPlus YC probiotics supplementation resulted in a significantly higher count of B. subtilis and B. licheniformis in the feed, a higher count of B. subtilis, B. licheniformis and LAB, as well as a lower count of Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus, Clostridium and Bacillus sp. in the mucosa and in the colorectal content of the test pigs. Our work has shown that supplementation with the BioPlus YC probiotic had a positive effect on the production traits of pigs mainly by reducing mortality (2.83%, p = 0.010), lowering feed conversion ratio—FCR (2.59 kg/kg, p = 0.013), better average daily gain—ADG (0.95 kg/day, p = 0.002) and shorter fattening period (77.25 days, p = 0.019) when compared to the control group (4.19%; 2.79 kg/kg; 0.89 kg/day; 92.8 days, respectively). The addition of the specific Bacillus bacteria did not influence carcass and meat characteristics of the test fatteners.

Carotenoids are part of a diverse group of isoprenoid compounds. Due to the many properties they possess, they may become an alternative to synthetic additives in various industrial sectors. The increase in consumer demand and awareness determines research into extracting them from plants, algae and microorganisms. The extraction of carotenoids from plants is an inefficient method and generates additional production costs. On the other hand, the carotenoid potential of microorganisms, especially among yeasts, has not been fully exploited. The diversity of yeast species and strains influences the extraction of many fractions of carotenoids, including the less known ones such as thorulene and tholuradine. The developed adaptability of yeast enables the optimisation of their culture, which facilitates the understanding of their metabolic pathways. At the same time, the coordination of carotenoid and lipid synthesis may prevent their degradation or the loss of their bioactive properties. Application research has been conducted mainly in the feed industry, where their colouring and antimicrobial or immunomodulating properties are used. In the medical and pharmaceutical fields, there is not much research due to safety restrictions and the necessity of the high purity of the fractions. This review also highlights the overlooked aspect of carotenoids’ biodegradability, which is required to exploit the bioactive properties of microbial carotenoids.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of probiotics on gut microbiota, on carcass and meat quality and on mineral contents in the longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle in pigs. The research was carried out with 120 hybrid pigs deriving from Naïma sows and P-76 boars. Pigs from the experimental group received the EM^®Bokashi probiotic (Greendland Technologia EM®, Janowiec n/Wisłą, Poland) in their feed (containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum). The study showed that EM^®Bokashi probiotic supplementation resulted in a significantly higher count of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts in the feed, a lower number of Clostridium in the mucosa and colorectal digesta as well as a lower Enterobacteriaceae count in the colorectal digesta. The research showed that carcasses of the pigs who received the EM^®Bokashi probiotic had a higher lean percentage and lower fat content than the carcasses of the control fatteners. Diet supplementation with the EM^®Bokashi probiotic resulted in a lower pH and technological yield (TY) and a higher drip loss and shear force at a lower protein content in LL muscle. Moreover, the administration of the probiotic to fatteners resulted in higher yellowness (b*) and saturation (C*) and higher concentrations of Na, Mg and Se in meat.

The main problem in processing bovine colostrum is preserving as many beneficial compounds as possible, most of which have low thermal stability. The present study evaluates the possibility of using cold plasma (CP) as a decontamination technology and its effect on selected biologically active fractions of freeze-dried bovine colostrum. The plasma process was carried out in air, nitrogen, and oxygen environments. The results revealed that the sterilization process using CP caused slight changes in the colour of the samples expressed by the attributes ΔC, ΔL, Δh and ΔE. The decontamination effect depended on the gas used and the type of microorganism. The highest decontamination effects were gained under oxygen conditions, where reductions were obtained for total psychrophilic bacteria (THPC) by log 1.24, mesophilic bacteria (THMC) by log 1.02, Enterobacteriaceae by log 1.16, E. coli by log 0.96, yeast (TYMC) by log 0.92. A significantly lower decontaminating effect was obtained for Gram-positive bacteria and sporophytic forms. Additionally, the application of CP, regardless of the gas used, affected the modification of protein structure and reduction of immunoglobulin concentration. as proven by proteomics analyses (1-DE, 2-DE, MALDI–TOF MS). The same applied to β-lactoglobulin in air and oxygen and BSA in nitrogen and air.

This study explores the combined impact of ultrasound and fermentation on a beverage developed from dried Ginkgo biloba leaves. Samples were analyzed for physicochemical properties, mineral composition, antioxidant capacity, biological substances content, microbiological quality, cytotoxic activity, and sensory characteristics. Fermentation for 7 days significantly increased TPC from 6.0 mg GAE/ml in the infusion to 34.0 mg GAE/ ml in the fermented and ultrasound (FS) sample, while TFC rose from 1.46 mg QE/ml to 5.76 mg QE/ml. Antioxidant activity improved across all samples. Ultrasound further enhanced bioactive compound extractability but slightly reduced antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes and C. albicans. Magnesium content increased in the FS (1.76 → 2.68 g/kg). Beverage exhibited cytotoxicity toward LoVo colon cancer cells (20 % cell inhibition at 25 mg/ml concentration) and received the highest overall sensory rating. These findings support the synergistic role of fermentation and ultrasound in developing safe, bioactive-rich, and organoleptically improved plant-based beverages.