Abstract
Bifidobcterium spp. can provide human being with several beneficial physiological. Therefor, there has been a considerable interest in products Bifidobcterium spp. dietary supplements or as starter cultures for probiotic products that may assint in the improvement of health on the human. But indusrial applications have been limited because Bifidobcterium spp. are sensitive to acidic pH due to organic acid produced by themselves and various conditions. The objective of this study was to establish new method for improvement of Bifidobcterium viability by entrapment im calcium alginate beads. We have a plan to select the most suitable polymer through the comparison with acid tolerance oxygen tolerance and theological properties of polymer. Increase of the viable number of Bifidobcterium induced increasing acid tolerance and oxygen tolernce trough the development of entrapment technique. The 4%, 3030mm diameter) sodium alginate beads led to the best survivability under acid condition. Especially, addition of 6% mannitol, 6% glycerol or 6% sorbitol to the sodium alginate helped a beneficial effect on viability against acid, bile salt, hydrogen peroxide and cold strage. The number of viability of entrapeede cells by retreatment was 96 fold higher than non-entrapeed cells after 5 hours of storage under pH 3 acidic condition. These experimental data clearly demonstrate that a whole cell immobilization by entrapment in calcium alginate beads is an important survival mechanism enable to withstand environmental stresses as the acidic condition, hydrogen peroxide toxicity and frozen state.