Probiotic-Enriched Yogurt with Encapsulated Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and Bacillus clausii: Product Characterization and Quality of Life Assessment in Type 2 Diabetes

Background: Probiotic-enriched foods represent a promising nutritional approach for supporting health in chronic metabolic diseases. Yogurt provides a suitable food matrix for probiotic incorporation, while microencapsulation may improve probiotic stability during storage and consumption. Methods: The aim of this study was to develop and characterize a yogurt containing encapsulated Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus) and Bacillus clausii (B. clausii) and to evaluate its effects on selected dimensions of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A probiotic-enriched yogurt was prepared using alginate–starch capsules containing L. rhamnosus and B. clausii. The product was evaluated during three weeks of refrigerated storage for pH, syneresis, water holding capacity, color, and probiotic viability. A randomized, two-arm, placebo-controlled interventional study was conducted in patients with T2DM. Participants received either probiotic yogurt containing encapsulated probiotics or a placebo yogurt containing probiotic-free capsules. HRQoL was assessed at baseline and post-intervention using the RAND 36-Item Health Survey (RAND 36). Results: During three weeks of refrigerated storage, the yogurt showed a progressive decrease in pH and syneresis, while water holding capacity remained indicative of good structural stability. Only minor changes in color were observed, and culturable microorganisms remained recoverable from the capsules during refrigerated storage. In an exploratory, placebo-controlled pilot evaluation, 54 patients with T2DM received two 100 g servings per week for three weeks. After Holm correction for multiple comparisons, the group × time interaction remained significant for vitality (adjusted p = 0.004) and emotional well-being (adjusted p = 0.009) but not for physical role limitations; in baseline-adjusted ANCOVA (Analysis of Variance), emotional well-being showed the most consistent evidence (adjusted difference 8.3 points, 95% CI 3.5–13.2), whereas results for vitality and physical role limitations were sensitive to model specification. Conclusions: Baseline HRQoL was substantially higher in the probiotic group, limiting causal interpretation. The yogurt showed favorable technological stability with culturable microorganisms persisting in the capsules during storage; the preliminary HRQoL signal requires confirmation in an adequately powered trial.