Increased Survival Rate of Probiotic Cultures in the Upper Gastrointestinal Tract during Storage Using a New Biocompatible Gel

Immobilization of lactic acid bacteria (using Enterococcus faecium as an example) in silanol-humate gels (SHG) not only increases the number of viable cells during long-term storage compared to the control (as previously shown), but also enhances their potential probiotic properties. The antagonistic activity against test strains of microorganisms (E. coli, S. aureus, and Y. lipolytica) increases up to 0.7–5 times compared to planktonic cultures. The number of E. faecium in SHG under conditions of acid and enzymatic stress, simulating the conditions of the upper parts of the human gastrointestinal tract, is maintained at a level of 30–80% of the initial level, while in the control (unstabilized preparation), almost complete cell death is observed. The technological indicators of fermented milk products obtained using E. faecium immobilized in SHG as starters are improved: the time of clot formation is reduced from 48 to 44 hours and the organoleptic assessment is improved. The safety of SHG for animals has been demonstrated when ingested at doses not exceeding 5 g/kg/day. SHG can be recommended for use in veterinary medicine and the food industry as a feed additive–adsorbent and stabilizer of probiotic cultures as components of food products.