Protection of Beneficial Microbes During Spray Drying Using Food, Ag, or Forestry Residues

Abstract

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a method that uses phenolic-rich agro-industrial residues to protect and stabilize beneficial microbes for improved shelf life and bioactivity.

Full Description

This technology integrates phenolic-rich food, agricultural, and forestry residues such as pomegranate, olive pomace, and spent coffee grounds with a spray drying encapsulation process to create shelf-stable microcapsules containing human, animal, and plant beneficial microbes. The phenolic compounds form protective metal-phenolic networks (MPNs) around microbes, enhancing their viability through drying stresses and long-term storage. This cost-effective bioformulation improves the survival of sensitive probiotic and microbial biostimulant strains, enabling reliable controlled release and commercialization in diverse markets.

Applications

• Human and animal probiotic dietary supplements. 
• Functional foods enriched with beneficial microbes. 
• Microbial biostimulants for sustainable agriculture and soil health. 
• Seed coatings with nitrogen-fixing or growth-promoting bacteria. 
• Pharmaceutical and nutraceutical formulations requiring stable live cultures. 
• Environmentally friendly bioformulations leveraging agro-industrial byproducts.

Features/Benefits

• Improves shelf stability while preserving the bioactivity of probiotics and biostimulants. 
• Increases microbial survival during spray drying by up to 1000-fold. 
• Replaces costly excipients by using low-cost, sustainable agro-industrial residues. 
• Integrates with commercially scalable spray-drying methods, including crosslinked alginate microencapsulation (CLAMs). 
• Provides broad-spectrum protection using natural phenolic networks without synthetic polymers. 
• Lowers production costs and expands access to spray-dried, viability-sensitive biologics. 
• Decreases reliance on synthetic polymers and chemicals used in typical microencapsulation matrices.

Patent Status

Patent Pending