Probiotic encapsulation in water-in-oil high internal phase emulsions: Enhancement of viability under food and gastrointestinal conditions

Polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) was used as the oil-soluble surfactant and beeswax was used as the oil phase to formulate a water-in-oil (W/O) high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) for the encapsulation and protection of probiotics. The physicochemical properties of the W/O HIPEs and the survival of the encapsulated probiotics when exposed to acidic conditions and in vitro digestion were investigated. The viability of the probiotics decreased slightly when exposed to high-speed shearing. The rheological analysis, microstructural images, physicochemical stability showed that the W/O HIPEs remained relatively stable. The survival of the probiotics loaded in the SK-HIPEs (prepared with skim milk) was much higher than in the NS-HIPEs (prepared with normal saline) during storage at 4 °C. An in vitro gastrointestinal model showed that encapsulation of the probiotics enhanced their survival. This study provides useful insights into the utilization of W/O HIPEs to improve the efficacy of probiotics in the food industry.