Abstract
The present study aimed to develop a probiotic rose petal jam containing microencapsulated L. plantarum. The attributes of L. plantarum microcapsules and bacteria viability in simulated gastrointestinal conditions and jam were assessed. In addition, L. plantarum effects on physicochemical, textural and sensorial properties of jam were studied. The microencapsulation yield, diameter, and zeta potential value of the microcapsules ranged from 90.23 to 92.75%, 14.80-35.02 µm, and - 16.83 to - 14.71 mV, respectively. The microencapsulation process significantly increases the survival of L. plantarum in simulated gastrointestinal tract and jam. In jam samples containing L. plantarum microencapsulated with 2% sodium alginate and 3.5% or 5% Arabic gum and stored for 90 days, the bacterial count was higher than the acceptable level (106 CFU/g). While there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between physicochemical characteristics of non-probiotic and probiotic jams, taste and overall acceptance scores of microencapsulated probiotic jams were higher. The microencapsulation of L. plantarum in sodium alginate (2%) and Arabic gum (5%) and its inoculation into rose petal jam could yield a new probiotic product with increased health benefits.