Gluten‐Free Pan Bread Enriched With Microalgae ( <i>Dunaliella salina</i> ) and Encapsulated <i>Lactobacillus acidophilus</i>

Celiac disease is a chronic intolerance to specific cereal prolamins containing particular oligopeptide sequences, leading to a lifelong intestinal disorder in gluten-sensitive individuals. The only effective treatment for this condition is adherence to a lifelong gluten-free diet. This study aimed to develop gluten-free pan bread using rice and potato flours enriched with <i>Dunaliella salina</i> microalgae and <i>Lactobacillus acidophilus</i>. The bacterial strain was encapsulated using two different methods with three substances: emulsification/coating with chitosan, sodium caseinate, and whey protein isolate (WPI), followed by spray drying. The encapsulated probiotic bacteria, along with the microalgae, were incorporated into the gluten-free bread formulation. Farinograph analysis revealed that the addition of <i>Dunaliella salina</i> increased water absorption, softening degree, and farinograph quality number, while reducing dough development and stability times. The encapsulation method significantly influenced the pH and acidity of the bread samples (<i>p</i> < 0.05), whereas the concentration of the microalgae had no significant effect on these parameters. The highest acidity was observed in the bread containing bacteria encapsulated with sodium caseinate and WPI. Increasing the concentration of <i>Dunaliella salina</i> resulted in a decrease in lightness (<i>L</i>*) and an increase in <i>a</i>* and <i>b</i>* values (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Encapsulation significantly enhanced probiotic viability in all treated samples compared to the control, with the highest probiotic count found in the sample encapsulated via emulsification/coating with chitosan (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Sensory evaluation demonstrated that increasing the microalgae concentration significantly improved the color, appearance, and texture sensorial evaluation scores of the bread, while reducing taste, odor, and overall acceptance. The results indicated that incorporating encapsulated <i>Lactobacillus acidophilus</i> with chitosan and 6 g <i>Dunaliella salina</i> per 100 g flours substantially enhances the nutritional and technological properties of gluten-free bread. Furthermore, gluten-free bread enriched with microalgae can serve as an effective carrier for the probiotic strain <i>Lactobacillus acidophilus</i>.