Enumeration of LAB cultures
The enumeration of each LAB culture was determined before
spray drying. Immediately after spray drying and at regular intervals
throughout storage survival was evaluated by rehydration of
each dried sample to their initial solids concentration in sterile
quarter strength Ringer's solution (Lab M). After homogenizing for
1 min and kept at room temperature for 30 min, each rehydrated
sample was enumerated as described above in section 2.3.
Microbial counts were transformed to logarithmic reduction
using the equation: log (N/N0), where N is the microbial cell count
at a particular sampling time and N0 is the microbial cell count after
spray drying.