Author, Institution: Laurita Varnaitė-Kapočė, Kaunas University of Technology
Science area, field of science: Technological Sciences, Chemical Engineering, T005
Research supervisor: Prof. Dr. Daiva Leskauskaitė (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Chemical Engineering, T005)
Research consultant: Prof. Dr. Aušra Šipailienė (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Chemical Engineering, T005)
Dissertation Defence Board of Chemical Engineering Science Field:
Prof. Dr. Vaida Kitrytė-Syrpa (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Chemical Engineering, T005) – chairperson
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dalia Čižeikienė (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Chemical Engineering, T005)
Prof. Dr. Naglis Malys (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Chemical Engineering, T005)
Dr. Dalija Seglina (Institute of Horticulture, Latvia, Natural Sciences, Chemistry, N003)
Prof. Dr. Loreta Šernienė (Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, Veterinary, A002)
Dissertation defence meeting will be at Rectorate Hall of Kaunas University of Technology (K. Donelaičio 73 – 402, Kaunas)
The doctoral dissertation is available at the library of Kaunas University of Technology (Gedimino 50, Kaunas) and on the internet: L. Varnaitė-Kapočė el. dissertation.pdf
© L. Varnaitė-Kapočė, 2026 “The text of the thesis may not be copied, distributed, published, made public, including by making it publicly available on computer networks (Internet), reproduced in any form or by any means, including, but not limited to, electronic, mechanical or other means. Pursuant to Article 25(1) of the Law on Copyright and Related Rights of the Republic of Lithuania, a person with a disability who has difficulties in reading a document of a thesis published on the Internet, and insofar as this is justified by a particular disability, shall request that the document be made available in an alternative form by e-mail to doktorantura@ktu.lt.”
Annotation: Growing interest in gut health has increased the need for effective probiotic delivery systms capable of protecting viable bacteria during processing, storage and gastrointestinal transit. This dissertation aimed to develop food-grade water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) double emulsion gels containing lactic acid bacteria and to evaluate their potential for targeted delivery to the colon. Double emulsions with differently gelled phases improved system stability and enhanced the survival of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum and Limosilactobacillus reuteri during storage, freeze-thaw treatment, thermization, pasteurization and in vitro digestion. Dual-gelled emulsions partially preserved structural integrity during gastric digestion and enabled gradual probiotic release in the intestinal phase. Under dynamic gastrointestinal conditions, the system increased L. plantarum abundance and short-chain fatty acid production in the colon, although stable colonization was not achieved without continuous supplementation. The dual-gelled emulsion also enabled simultaneous delivery of probiotics in the inner aqueous phase and cannabidiol in the oil phase to the colon. These findings demonstrate the potential of double emulsion gels as multifunctional delivery systems for functional foods and dietary supplements.