Viability of Lactobacillus plantarum TISTR 2075 in Different Protectants during Spray Drying and Storage

Spray drying was applied for the production of Lactobacillus plantarum TISTR 2075 powder using maltodextrin as the carrier. A survival rate of 0.85% was achieved for this probiotic bacteria after spray drying. To improve the survival of this strain during the spray-drying process and storage, various protectants were added before drying. These included protein, trehalose, fibersol, ascorbic acid, isomalt, palatinose, and gum acacia. The results indicated that trehalose and protein (a combination of soy protein isolate and milk protein concentrate) significantly (P<0.05) enhanced the viability during spray drying, with survival rates of 57.70 and 25.31%, respectively. Survival of the dried strain was also monitored over a period of 12 months' storage at 4 and 25 degrees C. Higher temperature induced lower viability of the strain in all protectants during this long-term storage. Accelerated storage tests using temperatures of 37, 45, 60, and 80 degrees C were also applied to the spray-dried powders. A temperature-dependent prediction model was developed to determine the viability of the spray-dried L. plantarum TISTR 2075 in different protectants for long-term storage.