Polymer-based Delivery Systems for Probiotics: Carrier Type, Performance Evaluation and Application of New Technologies
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Abstract:
Probiotics confer a variety of health benefits on the host, and can be used to prevent and treat gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal diseases, such as diarrhea, colon cancer, obesity, neurological diseases, diabetes, and inflammation. However, the survival rates of probiotics are affected by various environmental factors in the process of production, processing, storage and digestion. How to maintain the vitality and stability of probiotics to the maximum extent has become one of the current probiotic research hotspots. Biocompatible and degradable polymers can be used as delivery carriers for probiotics, which can effectively enhance the activities of probiotics, prolong storage time, reduce the loss of probiotics in the stomach, and even achieve targeted delivery to the colon and mucosa. This article reviews the types of current polymer carriers for probiotics encapsulation, and the evaluation methods for probiotic delivery systems. New techniques for preparing probiotic delivery systems are also discussed. The results show that combining properly the new delivery system technologies with diversified evaluation methods allows the establishment of probiotic delivery systems with high stability, functionality, safety, effectiveness, and targeting capability. These new delivery systems can achieve efficient delivery of probiotics, which will further promote the application of multifunctional probiotics in food or pharmaceutical fields.
