RESUMO
The objective of this study was to microencapsulate Saccharomyces boulardii using the emulsion technique. To microencapsulate the yeast, alginate sodium blended with inulin and mucilage from Opuntiaficus-indica was used as a coating material. The textural properties of the gels formed by the encapsulating materials and the in vitro viability of the yeast strain in the simulated conditions were studied. Textural profile analyses of the gels revealed differences (p < 0.05) in hardness because alginate produced stronger gels, whereas the incorporation of other hydrocolloids with alginate decreased gel strength and resulted in a more uniform, cohesive gel matrix. When alginate was blended with mucilage and inulin, encapsulated yeast presented higher counts and more viable cells, as compared to free yeast following 30 days of storage at 4 °C. Encapsulated and free yeast had 76.1% and 63.3%, respectively, of cell viability after 35 days of storage.