Title Sustainable bioprocessing of microalgal phycocyanin via fermentation and freeze-drying encapsulation: in vitro digestion and storage stability for functional food applications
Authors Aboobacker, S ; Šipailienė, A ; Kitrytė-Syrpa, V ; Syrpas, M
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Is Part of 3rd COST CA22134 FoodWaStop meeting “Sustainable network for agrofood loss and waste prevention, management, quantification and valorisation”: 5-6 February 2025, Zadar, Croatia: abstract book.. Zadar : University of Zadar. 2025, P4.31., p. 76
Keywords [eng] Phycocyanin ; Fermentation ; Encapsulation ; In vitro digestion
Abstract [eng] Phycocyanin, a bioactive phycobiliprotein obtained from Arthrospira platensis, offers strong potential as a natural colouring agent and antioxidant, yet its susceptibility to degradation during processing and storage restricts wider application. This work examines the fermentation of a phycocyanin-rich extract using Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and its subsequent encapsulation with whey protein isolate (WPI) and starch sodium octenyl succinate (OSA-S) through freeze-drying. The resulting lyophilisates were assessed for storage stability and in vitro digestibility, focusing on probiotic viability, amino acid bioaccessibility, and antioxidant capacity during digestion. The WPI-encapsulated sample exhibited higher probiotic survivability during the intestinal phase, reaching 6.2 log CFU/g. Amino acid release was observed during the intestinal phase, accompanied by increased antioxidant capacity, which may be attributed to the release of bioactive peptides. During 50 days of storage, phycocyanin in the WPI-formulated sample remained highly stable (~95% retention). Refrigerated and frozen storage conditions were the most effective for maintaining probiotic viability (98% retention). Overall, WPI encapsulation proved to be an effective approach for improving probiotic viability, bioactive functionality during digestion, and phycocyanin stability during storage, supporting its potential application in functional foods.
Published Zadar : University of Zadar
Type Conference paper
Language English
Publication date 2025