**8. Improvement of probiotic stability through biotechnological method**

Probiotics must always maintain their viability and functionality during the process of production, storage, and ingestion to have their positive benefits. The manufacturing conditions (temperature, oxidation, shear stress, etc.), storage conditions (moisture/low water activity, packing, oxidation, temperature, etc.), and GIT conditions (low pH, bile salts, digestive enzymes) are the main principal factors that often impact these strains' capacity to survive. Encapsulation has been examined by several researchers as one of the direct methods for avoiding or lessening the impact of these factors. These probiotic bacteria are therefore delivered to their target places using this technology by establishing a microenvironment in which they can survive. Encapsulation is the process of shielding probiotics in particles to protect them from

## *Lactic Acid Bacteria: Review on the Potential Delivery System as an Effective Probiotic DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.111776*

the environment by incorporating their microbial cells and/or their biologically active ingredients. To effectively perform its tasks, the capsules used for the encapsulation covering must be thin, semipermeable, and mechanically stable. By selecting a substance for the capsule that can create a "friendly" environment in the stomach and shield the probiotic strains from the stomach's acidic conditions and the bile salts secreted from the pancreas, however, it can also be made to release the probiotic cells in a specific location on the body [6]. Depending on the required features, which include polymers, several methods and materials were devised for the encapsulation of the probiotics. Considering the qualities, the encapsulation technique and the intended use of the finished product can help you choose the best shell or carrier material for this encapsulation. It must be suitable for industrial purposes, widely accessible, and simple to deal with. Polysaccharides of the plant including those from cellulose, pectin, gum arabic, agar-agar, alginate, carrageenan, inulin, and maltodextrin and those from animals (chitin, chitosan, hyaluronic acid, etc.) are the most often utilized encapsulating materials [6]. Probiotics are additionally encapsulated using resistant starch, oligosaccharides, as well as other fibers from fruits, vegetables, cereals, bran, and husk. Animal (casein, whey protein, and albumin) and plant (soy protein, pea protein, etc.) protein encapsulation ingredients are usually included in this category. However, their primary disadvantage is that digestive enzymes can degrade them, although this problem can be solved by coating them with another polymer [6].
