Probiotic-Enriched Yogurt with Encapsulated Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and Bacillus clausii: Product Characterization and Quality of Life Assessment in Type 2 Diabetes
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Biochemistry, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
- 2College of Medicine and Biological Science, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, 720229 Suceava, Romania
- 3Consultmed Medical Center, 700544 Iasi, Romania
- 4Emergency Clinical County Hospital Suceava, 720237 Suceava, Romania
- 5Interdisciplinary Research Centre in the Field of Eco-Nano Technology and Advance Materials CC-ITI, Faculty of Engineering, “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, 47 Domneasca Street, 800008 Galati, Romania
- 6Center for Complex Network Science, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Abstract
Background: Probiotic-enriched foods represent a promising nutritional approach for supporting health in chronic metabolic diseases. Yogurt provides a suitable food matrix for probiotic incorporation, while microencapsulation may improve probiotic stability during storage and consumption. Methods: The aim of this study was to develop and characterize a yogurt containing encapsulated Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus) and Bacillus clausii (B. clausii) and to evaluate its effects on selected dimensions of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A probiotic-enriched yogurt was prepared using alginate–starch capsules containing L. rhamnosus and B. clausii. The product was evaluated during three weeks of refrigerated storage for pH, syneresis, water holding capacity, color, and probiotic viability. A randomized, two-arm, placebo-controlled interventional study was conducted in patients with T2DM. Participants received either probiotic yogurt containing encapsulated probiotics or a placebo yogurt containing probiotic-free capsules. HRQoL was assessed at baseline and post-intervention using the RAND 36-Item Health Survey (RAND 36). Results: During three weeks of refrigerated storage, the yogurt showed a progressive decrease in pH and syneresis, while water holding capacity remained indicative of good structural stability. Only minor changes in color were observed, and culturable microorganisms remained recoverable from the capsules during refrigerated storage. In an exploratory, placebo-controlled pilot evaluation, 54 patients with T2DM received two 100 g servings per week for three weeks. After Holm correction for multiple comparisons, the group × time interaction remained significant for vitality (adjusted p = 0.004) and emotional well-being (adjusted p = 0.009) but not for physical role limitations; in baseline-adjusted ANCOVA (Analysis of Variance), emotional well-being showed the most consistent evidence (adjusted difference 8.3 points, 95% CI 3.5–13.2), whereas results for vitality and physical role limitations were sensitive to model specification. Conclusions: Baseline HRQoL was substantially higher in the probiotic group, limiting causal interpretation. The yogurt showed favorable technological stability with culturable microorganisms persisting in the capsules during storage; the preliminary HRQoL signal requires confirmation in an adequately powered trial.
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BibTeX
@article{gheorghita2026probioticenriched,
title = {{Probiotic-Enriched Yogurt with Encapsulated Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and Bacillus clausii: Product Characterization and Quality of Life Assessment in Type 2 Diabetes}},
author = {Roxana Elena Gheorghita and Delia Viola Reurean Pintilei and Olga Adriana Caliman Sturdza and Roxana Filip and Alina Crina Muresan and Monica Iavorschi and Ioan Ovidiu Sirbu},
journal = {Nutrients},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/nu18213523},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/21/3523},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Probiotic-Enriched Yogurt with Encapsulated Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and Bacillus clausii: Product Characterization and Quality of Life Assessment in Type 2 Diabetes
AU - Roxana Elena Gheorghita
AU - Delia Viola Reurean Pintilei
AU - Olga Adriana Caliman Sturdza
AU - Roxana Filip
AU - Alina Crina Muresan
AU - Monica Iavorschi
AU - Ioan Ovidiu Sirbu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - Nutrients
DO - 10.3390/nu18213523
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/21/3523
AB - Background: Probiotic-enriched foods represent a promising nutritional approach for supporting health in chronic metabolic diseases. Yogurt provides a suitable food matrix for probiotic incorporation, while microencapsulation may improve probiotic stability during storage and consumption. Methods: The aim of this study was to develop and characterize a yogurt containing encapsulated Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus) and Bacillus clausii (B. clausii) and to evaluate its effects on selected dimensions of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A probiotic-enriched yogurt was prepared using alginate–starch capsules containing L. rhamnosus and B. clausii. The product was evaluated during three weeks of refrigerated storage for pH, syneresis, water holding capacity, color, and probiotic viability. A randomized, two-arm, placebo-controlled interventional study was conducted in patients with T2DM. Participants received either probiotic yogurt containing encapsulated probiotics or a placebo yogurt containing probiotic-free capsules. HRQoL was assessed at baseline and post-intervention using the RAND 36-Item Health Survey (RAND 36). Results: During three weeks of refrigerated storage, the yogurt showed a progressive decrease in pH and syneresis, while water holding capacity remained indicative of good structural stability. Only minor changes in color were observed, and culturable microorganisms remained recoverable from the capsules during refrigerated storage. In an exploratory, placebo-controlled pilot evaluation, 54 patients with T2DM received two 100 g servings per week for three weeks. After Holm correction for multiple comparisons, the group × time interaction remained significant for vitality (adjusted p = 0.004) and emotional well-being (adjusted p = 0.009) but not for physical role limitations; in baseline-adjusted ANCOVA (Analysis of Variance), emotional well-being showed the most consistent evidence (adjusted difference 8.3 points, 95% CI 3.5–13.2), whereas results for vitality and physical role limitations were sensitive to model specification. Conclusions: Baseline HRQoL was substantially higher in the probiotic group, limiting causal interpretation. The yogurt showed favorable technological stability with culturable microorganisms persisting in the capsules during storage; the preliminary HRQoL signal requires confirmation in an adequately powered trial.
SN - 2072-6643
ER -