Survivability of probiotics is severely affected by harsh gastrointestinal conditions. In the present study, microbeads of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG were formulated using alginate (1.5% w/v) and combination of alginate (1.5% w/v) with xanthan gum (0.5% w/v) through an emulsion technique to improve bacterial viability in low pH orange juice and in gastrointestinal conditions. The microbeads were tested for encapsulation efficiency, survivability in bile salt, SGF (simulated gastric juice), SIF (simulated intestinal fluid), and storage stability. Probiotic orange juice was formulated and tested for physicochemical parameters (pH, titratable acidity, and total sugars) and sensorial properties during storage. Gum-coated alginate microbeads (T₃) showed higher encapsulation efficiency, i.e., 95.2% compared to alginate microbeads (T₂), i.e., 86.85%. Similarly, T₃ showed the highest resistance against bile salt (8.50 log CFU/g), SGF (7.95 log CFU/g), and SIF (8.0 log CFU/g) during 80 min exposure compared to T₂ and free cells. The viability of gum-coated alginate beads (T₃) remained above 10⁷ CFU/g in gastrointestinal conditions and at the end of 21 days storage (8.3 log CFU/mL). All physicochemical parameters of probiotic juice were significantly ( ) decreased with respect to storage except acidity. In addition, minimal changes in physicochemical parameters were observed in T₃ compared to other treatments. Treatment had no significant impact on the sensory characteristics of juice, but storage had a significant effect ( ) on the sensory characteristics of juice. The alginate gum microbeads improve the survivability of probiotics for targeted delivery. Hence, encapsulated probiotics can be used for functional beverage development to take advantage of their therapeutic benefits.

The survivability of encapsulated and nonencapsulated probiotics consisting of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lacticaseibacillus casei and the nutritional, physicochemical, and sensorial features of cottage cheese were investigated under refrigeration storage at 4 °C for 28 days. Microbeads of L. acidophilus and L. casei were developed using 2% sodium alginate, 1.5% sodium alginate and 0.5% carrageenan, and 1% sodium alginate and 1% carrageenan using an encapsulation technique to assess the probiotic viability in cottage cheese under different gastrointestinal conditions (SGF (simulated gastric juice), SIF (simulated intestinal fluid)), and bile salt) and storage conditions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) elucidated the stable structure of microbeads, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the presence probiotics in the microcapsules, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) demonstrated the amorphous state of microbeads. Furthermore, the highest encapsulation efficiency was observed for alginate 1% and carrageenan 1% microbeads (T₃), i.e., 95%. Likewise, viability was recorded in T₃ against SGF, SIF, and bile salt solution, i.e., 8.5, 8.8, and 8.9 log CFU/g at 80 min of exposure, compared to the control. The results of pH showed a significant (p < 0.05) decline that ultimately increased the titratable acidity. Nutritional analysis of cottage cheese revealed the highest levels of ash, protein, and total solids in T₃, exhibiting mean values of 3.2, 22, and 43.2 g/100 g, respectively, after 28 days of storage. The sensory evaluation of cottage cheese demonstrated better color, flavor, and textural attributes in T₃. Conclusively, synergistic addition of L. acidophilus and L. casei encapsulated with alginate-carrageenan gums was found to be more effective in improving the viability of probiotics in cottage cheese than noncapsulated cells while carrying better magnitudes of ash and protein, lower acidity, and pleasant taste.

The quality and safety of fruits and vegetables are the major concerns of the food industry. The quality of these foods depends on their safety during storage and processing. The current research was designed to improve the quality by optimizing the safety parameters to minimize the microbial load of carrots during processing and storage. Three process variables including ultrasonication time, ultrasonication temperature, and calcium chloride concentration were optimized, each at five levels, to find the minimum optimal response of microbial load in terms of total plate count (TPC), total coliform count (TCC) and yeast mold count (YMC) using response surface central composite design. The selected factors showed statistically significant (p < 0.05) linear negative effect on TPC and linear positive effect on YMC. The total plate count, total coliform count, and yeast mold count were reduced to 6.117, 5.689, and 6.021 log CFU/mL respectively, under the optimum conditions i.e., ultrasonication time (17.97 min), temperature (43.885 °C), and CaCl₂ concentration (181.211 mg/L). The non-significant interaction or quadratic effect of selected factors was observed on any of the studied responses. Concludingly, the reduction in studied parameters can improve the safety measurements of foods.

Stabilizers are used in the food industry, particularly during yogurt manufacturing to improve the texture, mouth feel, and appearance. In the present study, starch was extracted from the Arvi plant. The extraction of starch was carried out with and without the use of chemicals. The yogurt was prepared with the help of bacterial starter culture i.e., Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Different levels of Arvi starch (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5%) were used in the preparation of yogurt along with culture. The control was prepared by using 0.5% gelatin. Yogurt samples were observed for their texture, pH, syneresis, total solids, acidity, water-holding capacity, and organoleptic characteristics. These characteristics were also analyzed after the 7 and 15 days of storage. The Arvi starch at 0.5% level increases the water holding capacity, and viscosity and lowers the syneresis problems in yogurt as compared to the control that contains gelatin (0.5%). The Arvi starch at the level of 0.5% gave the best results as it increased the acceptability, viscosity (1940-2365cp), and water holding capacity (29.30-30.50%) of yogurt. However, the sensory attributes were not affected significantly by the addition of Arvi starch at 0.5% level.

The two main by-products of the mango processing industry are mango peels and mango kernels as it contains organic bioactive substances that are vital for disease prevention. The current study was planned to incorporate mango peel powder (MPP) and mango kernel powder (MKP) in wheat flour to develop phytonutrient-enriched-supplemented flour. The supplementation was done independently using MPP and MKP @ 5, 12, and 20% or in the combination of these @ 2.5:2.5, 6.25:6.25, and 10:10% respectively. The supplemented flours were used to develop phytonutrient-enriched biscuits as per the treatment plan described above. Developed biscuits were evaluated for proximate composition and antioxidant properties (total phenolic contents, FRAP, DPPH, and anti-oxidant activity). Biscuits were stored for 60 days and were assessed for texture, water activity, and sensory parameters (taste, aroma, color, and overall acceptability) at a 30-day interval. The results for the proximate composition showed that moisture, ash, crude fiber ranged from 3.50- 6.01%,3.02- 5.20%, , and 9.04- 11.14%, respectively. Maximum values for the total phenolic contents (15.47µg/ml), FRAP (1.85µg/ml), DPPH (37.10µg/ml), and anti-oxidant activity (22.16µg/ml) were noted in the supplemented biscuits biscuits. The results for the sensory evaluation showed that the highest score for taste (7.19), aroma (7.00), color (6.99), and overall acceptability (7.03) was gained by the biscuits prepared using 6.25:6.25% MPP and MKP supplemented flour. In conclusion, biscuits prepared from the MPP and MKP resulted in increased nutritional as well as sensory acceptability.