Page 92 - FoodFocusThailand No.238 January-February 2026

ENCAPSULATION TECHNOLOGY:

UNLOCKING THE EFFICACY OF PREBIOTICS

AND PROBIOTICS FOR NEXT-GENERATION

FUNCTIONAL FOODS

The development of health foods containing bioactive compounds is a key strategy in the modern food industry.
However, several limitations remain, including the potential instability of these compounds when exposed to
oxygen, light, or heat, as well as reduced effectiveness during storage or digestion. Currently, some of the
most common bioactive components are probiotics and prebiotics, which can act synergistically to support gut
microbiome balance and improve health in various ways, including lowering the risk of gastritis or intestinal
inflammation and alleviating constipation.

Nevertheless, maintaining probiotic viability during Wall materials are protective matrices that encapsulate
processing and digestion remains a significant challenge. As target microorganisms to preserve their viability and stability
a result, encapsulation technology has been introduced to during industrial manufacturing, processing, and storage.
protect bioactive compounds, enhance their stability, and control Generally, the bacterial cells used for encapsulation range
their release at appropriate sites within the gastrointestinal from 1 to 5 micrometers in size, necessitating complete
tract, representing an important milestone in the development enclosure to prevent environmental exposure. Damaged or
of effective and sustainable functional foods. compromised wall materials can expose microorganisms to
undesirable conditions, cause cell wall rupture, and ultimately
Encapsulation Technology and Innovation: result in functional or nutritional loss. Currently, encapsulation
A Key to Unlocking the Effectiveness technology is regarded as one of the most effective methods
of Probiotics and Prebiotics for protecting and enhancing the functional performance of
Encapsulation technology is a chemical, physical, or probiotics and prebiotics. Co-encapsulation, in particular, plays
mechanical process designed to enclose microorganisms that a crucial role in optimizing the stability of active compounds
are sensitive to undesirable environmental factors. Its main and their applications in the food industry. According to
functions include: (1) preventing core degradation by reducing Shanuke et al. (2025), the most common encapsulation
reactions to external stimuli such as temperature, humidity, techniques for probiotics and prebiotics are as follows:
oxygen, and light; (2) minimizing the loss or volatilization of
bioactive compounds; (3) improving physical properties for SPRAY DRYING is a widely used encapsulation technique
more effective handling; (4) controlling the release of bioactive for preserving the stability of probiotics and prebiotics.
compounds; (5) masking undesirable flavors, colors, or Bioactive compounds are mixed with common wall
tastes; and (6) promoting the uniform distribution of bioactive materials such as maltodextrin, modified starch, gum acacia,
compounds in diluted environments. alginate, carboxymethylcellulose, guar gum, soy protein,

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