Minimally processed yam beam roots fortified with probiotics and phenolic compound from green coffee microencapsulated

Yam beam (Pachyrhizus erosus L.) root, commonly known as jicama, is widely consumed by health-conscious individuals due to its low caloric content. However, its nutritional value is relatively low, despite containing some. To enhance these nutritional properties, jicama can be supplemented with probiotics and antioxidant compounds. In this study, the jicama pieces were coated with an edible layer containing microencapsulated Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium spp. and phenolic compounds derived from green coffee, which were microencapsulated using a double spray drying technique. The probiotics and phenolic compounds were dried using double spray drying with chitosan at 120 and 140 °C. The results showed that the inlet air temperature did not have a statistically significant effect (p ≥ 0.05) on the encapsulation efficiency of probiotics, chlorogenic acid and caffeine content, or antioxidant activity expressed as IC50 value (110 - 116 µg/mL). After 6 d of storage at 4 °C, the jicama supplemented with the microcapsules containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium spp. exhibited a reduction in microbial viability by 1 and 2 log CFU/g, respectively. However, the addition of microcapsules allowed a higher concentration of phenolic compounds than the control group. Minimally processed jicama containing microcapsules with probiotics and phenolic compounds could be a functional food, and the reported procedure could be applied for industrial purposes.