Blends of Carbohydrate Polymers for the Co-Microencapsulation of Bacillus clausii and Quercetin as Active Ingredients of a Functional Food

A functional food based on blends of carbohydrate polymers and active ingredients was prepared by spray drying. Inulin (IN) and maltodextrin (MX) were used as carrying agents to co-microencapsulate quercetin as an antioxidant and Bacillus clausii (Bc) as a probiotic. Through a reduced design of experiments, eleven runs were conducted and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC). The physical characterizations showed fine and non-aggregated powders, composed of pseudo-spherical particles with micrometric sizes. The observation of rod-like particles suggested that microorganisms were microencapsulated in these particles. The microstructure of the powders was amorphous, observing diffraction peaks attributed to the crystallization of the antioxidant. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the blends was above the room temperature, which may promote a higher stability during storage. The antioxidant activity (AA) values increased for the IN-MX blends, while the viability of the microorganisms increased with the addition of MX. By a surface response plot (SRP) the yield showed a major dependency with the drying temperature and then with the concentration of IN. The work contributes to the use of carbohydrate polymers blends, and to the co-microencapsulation of active ingredients.

Bacteremia after Bacillus clausii administration for the treatment of acute diarrhea: A case report

Bacillus clausii is a gram-positive rod used as a probiotic to treat diarrhea and the side effects of antibiotics such as pseudomembranous colitis. We report a case of B. clausii bacteremia in a non-immunocompromised patient with active peptic ulcer disease and acute diarrhea. The probiotic was administered during the patient´s hospitalization due to diarrhea of infectious origin. B. clausii was identified in the bloodstream of the patient through Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) days after her discharge.Given the wide use of probiotics, we alert clinicians to consider this microorganism as a causative agent when signs of systemic infection, metabolic compromise, and hemodynamic instability establish after its administration and no pathogens have been identified that could explain the clinical course.

Sorvete de umbu e mangaba com propriedade funcional

Objetivou-se elaborar e avaliar formulações de sorvete com Bacillus clausii e frutooligossacarídeo. Inicialmente, foi realizada uma pesquisa com 66 consumidores de sorvete, por meio de questionários, para identificar quais frutas seriam adicionadas aos sorvetes. Em seguida, foram formulados 4 sorvetes (F1- sem fruta; F2 – com umbu; F3 - com mangaba, e F4 - com umbu e mangaba), sendo esses, avaliados microbiologicamente (coliformes, Salmonella sp., Estafilococus coagulase positivo e fungos), sensorialmente (aceitação e preferência), físico-química e química (umidade, proteínas, lipídios, cinzas, vitamina C, espécies reativas ao ácido tiobarbitúrico, 1,1-difenil-2-picril-hidrazil, fenólicos, sólidos solúveis, acidez e pH), calorias e carboidratos. Para o sabor dos sorvetes, os consumidores escolheram a mangaba, seguido do umbu, e da mistura umbu e mangaba. Todas as formulações estavam seguras microbiologicamente, apresentaram alta aceitabilidade e garantiram a viabilidade do Bacillus clausii. Os sorvetes com frutas demonstraram ser fonte de compostos bioativos e apresentaram maior atividade antioxidante (vitamina C) do que o sorvete sem fruta (F1). A adição de frutooligossacarídeo e B. clausii não exerceu influência nas características avaliadas. Os sorvetes propostos são produtos inovadores e podem atender às expectativas do mercado consumidor por alimentos com alegação funcional e com frutas regionais.