ABSTRACT
In recent years, the food industries have opted for the application of new technologies in the development of functional foods, such as encapsulation process, with the purpose of protect the bioactive compounds called prebiotics and probiotic during passage through the gastrointestinal zone and thereby ensure their total integrity and the viability during food product formulation and their storage. Encapsulation is a promising method because it allows the stabilization of prebiotics and probiotics by resistance to stomach acid pH and therefore offering health beneficial effects inside the digestive system. In addition, in this technique, it 44is possible the incorporation of materials from natural sources such as potato and maize starch, pectin and others natural products that act as encapsulating agents showing an excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, nontoxicity, cost-effectiveness and therapeutic properties.
In this context, the aim of this chapter discusses the importance of the encapsulation process of prebiotic compounds and probiotics microorganism for the development of functional foods. As well as, bioengineering aspects chemical and physical characteristics of encapsulation of functional ingredients and some industrial applications.
