“…Microencapsulation of probiotics has been investigated for improving their viability in food products and the intestinal tract (Rao, Shiwnarain, & Maharaj, 1989). The most widely used encapsulating material is alginate, a linear heteropolysaccharide of d-mannuronic and l-guluronic acid extracted from various species of algae (Smidsrod, Haug, & Lian, 1972). Alginate beads can be formed by both extrusion and emulsion methods (Krasaekoopt, Bhandari, & Deeth, 2003).…”