Application of Oven-Dried Durian Seed Powder and Freeze-Dried Durian Seed Powder on Extending Probiotics Longevity

Durian seed is often wasted but it can be utilized as a biopolymer and encapsulating agent for probiotics. This is good since it is a natural and sustainable biopolymer source. However, durian seed contains a lot of impurities that may hinder the biopolymer’s functional properties. This study aims to extract gum from durian seeds, subject them to oven-drying and freeze drying to obtain durian seed powder, study both oven-dried and freeze-dried durian seed’s characteristics and the potential to use them to enhance the growth of probiotics. Freeze-dried durian seed powder has higher yield percentage, higher water holding capacity, and higher oil holding capacity than oven-dried durian seed powder. Freeze-dried durian seed powder also has more pores and more uniform structure compared to oven-dried durian seed powder, which can be seen through scanning electron microscope. Both oven-dried durian seed powder and freeze-dried durian seed powder manage to support probiotics’ growth. The probiotics’ concentration can be seen to increase after 3 days of incubation upon encapsulation via dried durian seed flour for both encapsulated probiotics with oven-dried durian seed powder and encapsulated probiotics with freeze-dried durian seed powder. Freeze-dried durian seed powder support probiotics’ growth better than oven-dried durian seed powder since the concentration of probiotics after being encapsulated with freeze-dried durian seed powder is higher than the concentration of probiotics after being encapsulated with oven-dried durian seed powder. Based on observation via scanning electron microscope, encapsulated probiotics with freeze-dried durian seed powder also has better appearance, less wrinkles and less dents compared to encapsulated probiotics with oven-dried durian seed powder.