Aims: Probiotics are living microorganism, when administrated in sufficient quantity can exert beneficial effect to the host. This study focused on the microencapsulation by co-extrusion to increase the viability of Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (Lp299v) in gastrointestinal conditions, and its storage stability in kuini juice at refrigerated (4 °C) and ambient temperature (25 °C). Methodology and results: Lp99v was encapsulated with 1.5% w/v sodium alginate and chitosan coating (0.1% w/v) and yielded a microencapsulation efficiency of 97.71%. The Lp299v microbeads produced were spherical in shape and exhibited a mean microbeads size of 618.75 ± 25.85 µm. Acid and bile tolerance of both free and encapsulated Lp299v were tested in simulated gastric juice (SGJ) for 2 h and in simulated intestinal juice (SIJ) for 4 h, respectively. The encapsulated Lp299v maintained above 108 CFU/mL after exposure to artificial gastrointestinal juice, whereas a significant loss of viability was observed in the free cells. The storage stability of encapsulated Lp299v in kuini juice was determined during 4 weeks of storage at 4 °C and 25 °C. Results showed that encapsulated Lp299v was capable to remain viable (107 CFU/mL) for at least 4 weeks in a refrigerated condition. However, free Lp299v did not survived under both refrigerated and ambient temperature as the storage period extended. Conclusion, significance and impact of study Lp299v entrapped in chitosan-coated alginate microbeads produced by co-extrusion method is able to enhance the viability of Lp299v above the minimum recommended level in harsh environment (gastrointestinal conditions and low pH of kuini juice).
Cell Encapsulation ; Lactobacillus plantarum

Maintaining the stemness of the transplanted stem cell spheroids in an inflammatory microenvironment is challenging but important in regenerative medicine. Direct delivery of stem cells to repair periodontal defects may yield suboptimal effects due to the complexity of the periodontal inflammatory environment. Herein, stem cell spheroid is encapsulated by interfacial assembly of metal-phenolic network (MPN) nanofilm to form a stem cell microsphere capsule. Specifically, periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) spheroid was coated with Fe^III/tannic acid coordination network to obtain spheroid@[Fe^III-TA] microcapsules. The formed biodegradable MPN biointerface acted as a cytoprotective barrier and exhibited antioxidative, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities, effectively remodeling the inflammatory microenvironment and maintaining the stemness of PDLSCs. The stem cell microencapsulation proposed in this study can be applied to multiple stem cells with various functional metal ion/polyphenol coordination, providing a simple yet efficient delivery strategy for stem cell stemness maintenance in an inflammatory environment toward a better therapeutic outcome.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology* ; Capsules/pharmacology* ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Encapsulation ; Cells, Cultured ; Ferric Compounds/pharmacology* ; Osteogenesis/physiology* ; Periodontal Ligament ; Polyphenols/pharmacology* ; Stem Cells ; Tannins/pharmacology*