The integration of nutraceuticals for effective disease prevention and health promotion is becoming increasingly relevant to both pharmaceutical and food industries. As consumers become more concerned with food quality and health-related issues, interest in the use of probiotics in food, medicine, and other beneficial products is growing. Historically recognized for supporting immune system and digestive health, probiotic-rich foods are now also linked in potential benefits for weight management, heart health, and cognitive function. However, ensuring the stability, viability, and bioavailability of probiotic cells through food processing and digestion remains a significant challenge.
To address this challenge, several encapsulation techniques have emerged as a promising solutions to protect probiotics during their integration into food products. Various methods, including extrusion, emulsion, spray drying, spray chilling, and fluidized bed encapsulation are being used in scientific research to effectively encapsulate probiotics. In particular, microencapsulation stands out for its ability to encase probiotics within a biopolymeric matrix, thereby protecting them from adverse environmental conditions. Consequently, ongoing advancements in encapsulation technologies are crucial for harnessing the full therapeutic and commercial potential of probiotics in functional foods and beyond.
This Research Topic aims to compile the latest scientific discoveries regarding encapsulated probiotics in functional food production, focusing on their applications as value-added bio-agents in the food industry.
We welcome Original Research, Review, Methods, Perspective and Opinion articles on the following subjects, but are not limited to:
• Novel probiotics in food production;
• Nanoencapsulation of probiotics;
• Impact of encapsulation on probiotic functionality;
• Bioactivity, bioavailability and delivery of probiotics in different food matrices;
• Probiotic applications as antioxidants and antimicrobial in foods;
• Probiotic-based smart packaging systems and their characterization
• Challenges of incorporating probiotics in functional foods;
• Ethical, qualitative, and regulatory aspects related to probiotics in food applications;
• Life cycle assessment of probiotic-based food production.
Keywords:
Probiotic Encapsulation, Probiotics in Food Processing, Probiotics in Functional Foods, Smart Packaging, Sustainable Food Production, Bioavailability and Controlled Delivery, Food Preservation, Functional Food Applications
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
The integration of nutraceuticals for effective disease prevention and health promotion is becoming increasingly relevant to both pharmaceutical and food industries. As consumers become more concerned with food quality and health-related issues, interest in the use of probiotics in food, medicine, and other beneficial products is growing. Historically recognized for supporting immune system and digestive health, probiotic-rich foods are now also linked in potential benefits for weight management, heart health, and cognitive function. However, ensuring the stability, viability, and bioavailability of probiotic cells through food processing and digestion remains a significant challenge.
To address this challenge, several encapsulation techniques have emerged as a promising solutions to protect probiotics during their integration into food products. Various methods, including extrusion, emulsion, spray drying, spray chilling, and fluidized bed encapsulation are being used in scientific research to effectively encapsulate probiotics. In particular, microencapsulation stands out for its ability to encase probiotics within a biopolymeric matrix, thereby protecting them from adverse environmental conditions. Consequently, ongoing advancements in encapsulation technologies are crucial for harnessing the full therapeutic and commercial potential of probiotics in functional foods and beyond.
This Research Topic aims to compile the latest scientific discoveries regarding encapsulated probiotics in functional food production, focusing on their applications as value-added bio-agents in the food industry.
We welcome Original Research, Review, Methods, Perspective and Opinion articles on the following subjects, but are not limited to:
• Novel probiotics in food production;
• Nanoencapsulation of probiotics;
• Impact of encapsulation on probiotic functionality;
• Bioactivity, bioavailability and delivery of probiotics in different food matrices;
• Probiotic applications as antioxidants and antimicrobial in foods;
• Probiotic-based smart packaging systems and their characterization
• Challenges of incorporating probiotics in functional foods;
• Ethical, qualitative, and regulatory aspects related to probiotics in food applications;
• Life cycle assessment of probiotic-based food production.
Keywords:
Probiotic Encapsulation, Probiotics in Food Processing, Probiotics in Functional Foods, Smart Packaging, Sustainable Food Production, Bioavailability and Controlled Delivery, Food Preservation, Functional Food Applications
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.