Modification of pectin/starch-based beads with additives to improve Bacillus subtilis encapsulation for agricultural applications.

The use of Bacillus as biofertilizer is a sustainable strategy to increase agricultural productivity, but it still requires the development of formulations to protect cells from stressful conditions. Ionotropic gelation using a pectin/starch matrix is a promising encapsulation strategy to achieve this goal. By incorporating additives such as montmorillonite (MMT), attapulgite (ATP), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), the properties of these encapsulated products could be further improved.

Exploring the roles of starch for microbial encapsulation through a systematic mapping review.

Microorganism encapsulation protects them from stressful conditions and assists in maintaining their viability, being especially beneficial when the carrier material is a renewable and biodegradable biopolymer, such as starch. Here, a systematic mapping was performed to provide a current overview on the use of starch-based systems for microbial encapsulation. Following well-established guidelines, a systematic mapping was conducted and the following could be drawn: 1) there was a significant increase in publications on microbial encapsulation using starch over the past decade, showing interest from the scientific community, 2) ionotropic gelation, emulsification and spray drying are the most commonly used techniques for starch-based microbial encapsulation, and 3) starch play important functions in the encapsulation matrix such as assisting in the survival of the microorganisms.