Introducing probiotics with the diet: the development of a new functional pasta enriched with Bacillus coagulans

INTRODUCTION: Probiotics can be ingested as dietary supplements or incorporated in the so-called “functional foods”, nowadays mostly yogurt or dairy products (Nagpal et al., 2012). Since cereal-derived products, and in particular pasta, are very popular foods, they could be used as potential vehicles to introduce probiotics with the diet, reaching a large part of the population. However, it is crucial that the probiotic strain retains its stability during pasta manufacturing and cooking processes, as it must be viable and administered in adequate amount for efficacy (FAO/WHO, 2002). Bacillus coagulans represents a good candidate to confer probiotic properties to foods characterized by low water content and long shelf-life like dried pasta, thanks to its spore-forming ability which improves viability and stability (Jurenka, 2012). The present study is included in the framework of a research project aimed at developing a new functional pasta enriched with probiotics; in particular, we report here data related to the viability of the probiotic ingredient, i.e., the spore former Bacillus coagulans strain GBI-30 (ATCC Designation Number PTA-6086) following the pasta-making and cooking processes. METHODS: Culture-dependent and culture-independent (Real-Time qPCR) methods were optimized for the specific quantification of B. coagulans. The samples analyzed include: the freeze-dried GBI-30 strain, semolina (prepared by Antico Molino Rosso, Italy) added with 1% GBI-30, dried pasta (produced at Rustichella d’Abruzzo, Italy) in different shapes (fusilli, penne, spaghetti) using diverse procedures, cooked pasta prepared by testing different cooking times, and the cooking water. RESULTS: As a first stage, suitable protocols and methods were developed to enumerate the probiotic B. coagulans GBI-30 strain in the different samples. In general, data obtained with plate count analysis and Real-Time-qPCR were consistent. However, a specific identification of B. coagulans was obtained with the qPCR assay. The amount of the probiotic strain in the semolina was high and corresponded to the expected value. The different types of dried and cooked pasta revealed a B. coagulans concentration of approximately 106 CFU/g. Longer cooking times had a negative effect on the viability of GBI-30; therefore, an al dente cooking is recommended. Finally, the dispersion of cells in cooking water was found not to be relevant. DISCUSSION: The culture-dependent and culture-independent methods applied in this study allowed the successful quantification of the probiotic strain in the pasta products. The findings showed that B. coagulans was able to survive to the pasta-making and cooking processes, and the probiotic strain amount in the cooked pasta can be considered sufficient to exert beneficial effects on consumers. Next steps of this research will be related to the administration of the probiotic pasta to healthy over-weight subjects in order to evaluate the persistence of the strain GBI-30 in the gastrointestinal tract and its effects on the fecal microbiota. Acknowledgements This research was funded by the Italian Ministry for Development in the framework of the project “Pass-World - pasta e salute nel mondo - Industria 2015”.