Whey protein isolate (WPI) is a common wall material in the microencapsulation of bioactive substances through spray drying.  As a kind of globule protein with remarkable amphipathic property, the capability of WPI to bind hydrophobic compounds and the adsorption of WPI molecules at oil/water and water/air interfaces have been extensively studied.  During spray drying, the particle formation process of WPI, alone or as influenced by other wall and core materials, is also a crucial factor that affects the property and functionality of the spray-dried microparticles.  In addition, in the microencapsulation of live microorganisms such as probiotics, the interactions between WPI and the core material may not be limited to common chemical interactions, since the cellular response of the viable cells toward the wall material should also be taken into account.  In this work, WPI was used in combination with other wall materials to encapsulate a variety of bioactive substances, including both lipophilic materials and a probiotic strain, <i>Lactobacillus rhamnosus</i> GG (LGG).  The microencapsulation was carried out with a Micro-Fluidic Jet Spray Dryer, which was capable of producing monodisperse microparticles with uniform morphology and property. By comparing particle morphology between microcapsules with varying formulation, the particle formation process of WPI, as well as how it was influenced by different wall and core materials, was discussed.  It was further correlated with the formation of the property and functionality of the powdered microcapsules.  We also showed that the contact of LGG with WPI impacted on its metabolic activity and the stability of cellular surface charge, which likely affected the retention of LGG viability after spray drying.  Besides the chemical property of WPI, its particle formation behaviour and compatibility with core material are also of great importance for the development of microencapsulated powders with excellent property.

Microencapsulation using whey protein isolate as wall material: Particle formation behaviour and interactions with core material

ACS Spring 2022

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