4. Conclusions
The preparation of suitable dried probiotic cultures is very
important for the dairy and food industry. Although freeze-drying
is widespread with many industrial applications, a loss of living
cells during the process and storage cannot be avoided. The optimum
lyoprotectants were lactose and monosodium glutamate for
immobilized cells on apple pieces and casein, respectively, while
corresponding levels of viable cells up to 4.8 108 cfu/g and
2.0 109 cfu/g were recorded after 12 months of storage. Such high
levels are expected to lead to adoption of the technology by the
industrial sector. However, more research in the field is required to
further study the effect of other factors, such as growth and rehydration
media, storage conditions, etc.