In the recent past, there has been an explosion of probiotic-based health products mostly in the form of fermented dairy products as well as dietary supplements. The markets for probiotic products and supplements are increasing worldwide .Probiotics have been reported to play a therapeutic role by modulating immunity, lowering cholesterol, improving lactose tolerance and preventing some cancers.The ice-cream matrix might be a good vehicle for probiotic cultures, due to its composition, which includes milk proteins, fat and lactose, as well as other compounds .Although dairy ice cream seems to be a good vehicle for probiotic cultures due to its composition and pH near to 6.0, the viability of these microorganisms can be affected by freezing process and oxygen toxicity. In order to overcome these problems, microencapsulation methods can be applied to increase the survival of probiotic cultures in frozen dairy products .

The term ‘‘microencapsulation’’ designates a defined technology of packing solids, liquids or gases in small capsules, which can release their contents under specific circumstances. Microencapsulation technologies are hypothesized to be a promising prospect for introducing viable probiotic bacteria in foods because the encapsulation matrix can provide a physical barrier against harsh environmental conditions such as freezing and those encountered during gastric juice passage .The technology of micro-encapsulation of probiotic bacterial cells evolved from the immobilised cell culture technology used in the biotechnological industry.

My Study Concludes that,

v  This study indicates that probiotic survivability in ice cream can significantly improved by microencapsulation.

v  Also, the microencapsulated probiotic strains did not have any effect on the physic-chemical properties and sensory attributes of Probiotic ice cream.

v  The acceptability of the Probiotic ice cream containing microencapsulated strains was satisfactory. High fat and solids content of ice cream and other frozen desserts might provide protection to the probiotic bacteria and serve as carrier for delivering the probiotic bacteria into the human gut. 

It is concluded that the incorporation of encapsulated probiotic strains in dairy products could result in more efficacious and diverse probiotic products in the future, leading ultimately to improved consumer health