Abstract
Variability in efficacy and safety is a worldwide concern with commercial probiotics for their growing and inevitable use in food and health sectors. Here, we introduce a probiotic thermophysical fingerprinting methodology using a coupling thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. Qualitative and quantitative information on the material decomposition and transition phases is provided under heating conditions. By monitoring the changes in both mass and internal energy over temperature and time, a couple of thermal data at the maximum decomposition steps allow the creation of a unique and global product identity, depending on both strain and excipient components. We demonstrate that each powder formulation of monostrain and multistrain from different lots and origins have a unique thermophysical profile. Our approach also provides information on the formulation thermostability and additive/excipient composition. An original fingerprint form is proposed by converting the generated thermal data sequence into a star-like pattern for a perspective library construction.