Whey protein isolate‐oligosaccharides conjugates as encapsulants improving stability of L. lactis

Summary The aim of this study is to prepare Maillard reaction products (MRPs) with low Browning intensity for microencapsulation of Lactococcus lactis and to improve its processing stability and anti‐digestive ability. In this study, whey protein isolate (WPI) was combined with xylose oligosaccharides (XOS) and feruloyl oligosaccharides (FOs) at 90 °C for 90 min to prepare two Maillard reaction products (MRPs), which were applied to the construction of L. lactis microcapsules. The results showed that WPI‐FOs had a lower Browning intensity and slightly lower intermediate content than WPI‐XOS. Both MRPs showed strong inhibitory effects on the pathogens and probiotics effect on L. lactis . In addition, L. lactis coated with MRPs showed significantly enhanced resistance to heat and mechanical stress. Therefore, this study demonstrated that the Maillard conjugation of WPI with oligosaccharides has the potential to be the encapsulant for probiotic microcapsules.