Microencapsulation of a Pseudomonas Strain (VUPF506) in Alginate–Whey Protein–Carbon Nanotubes and Next-Generation Sequencing Identification of This Strain

Abstract

Alginate is a common agent used for microencapsulation; however, the formed capsule is easily damaged. Therefore, alginate requires blending with other biopolymers to reduce capsule vulnerability. Whey protein is one polymer that can be incorporated with alginate to improve microcapsule structure. In this study, three different encapsulation methods (extrusion, emulsification, and spray drying) were tested for their ability to stabilize microencapsulated Pseudomonas strain VUPF506. Extrusion and emulsification methods enhanced encapsulation efficiency by up to 80% and gave the best release patterns over two months. A greenhouse experiment using potato plants treated with alginate–whey protein microcapsules showed a decrease in Rhizoctonia disease intensity of up to 70%. This is because whey protein is rich in amino acids and can serve as a resistance induction agent for the plant. In this study, the use of CNT in the ALG–WP system increased the rooting and proliferation and reduced physiological complication. The results of this study showed that the technique used in encapsulation could have a significant effect on the efficiency and persistence of probiotic bacteria. Whole genome sequence analysis of strain VUPF506 identified it as Pseudomonas chlororaphis and revealed some genes that control pathogens.