Claims:1. A method of encapsulation of at least one micro-organism, said method comprises the steps of:
(a) preparing a slurry comprising at least one protein, and at least one sugar in water by heating the ingredients at a temperature in the range of 60-95 °C;
(b) cooling the slurry to room temperature (25-35°C), and adjusting the pH with a neutralizing agent of said slurry in the range of 5.5-6.5 to obtain slurry II;
(c) obtaining at least one micro-organism, selected from a group consisting of Rhizobium leguminosarum, Bradyrhizobium japonicum, Mesorhizobium cicero, Arbuscular Mycorrhizal spores, and combinations thereof;
(d) washing said micro-organism with a buffer such that the pH of micro-organism is in the range of 5.6-6.5
(e) dispersing said micro-organisms in said slurry II and stirring at 500-1500rpm to obtain a mixture;
(f) adding oil to said mixture to obtain an emulsion, wherein said oil to said water v/v ratio is in the range of 1:2-1:3;
(g) stirring said emulsion at a speed in the range of 200-1200 rpm to obtain beads;
(h) coating said beads with a coating agent to obtain coated beads;
(i) mixing said coated beads with aqueous suspension of inorganic salts to obtain hardened microbeads comprising encapsulated micro-organisms.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises of drying said hardened microbead to obtain beads.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one sugar is selected from the group comprising sucrose, lactose, trehalose, starch, dextrin, and cellulose wherein said at least one sugar weight/volume concentration with respect to said emulsion is in the range of 0.5-6.66%.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one protein weight/volume concentration with respect to said emulsion is present in the range of 0.5-3.33%, said protein is selected from a group comprising sodium caesinate, casein, and whey isolate.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coating agent is selected from group consisting of xanthan gum, gellan, arabic gum, said coating agent weight/volume concentration with respect to emulsion is in the range of 0.025-3.33%;
6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said oil is selected from the group consisting of castor oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, ginger oil, groundnut oil, palm oil, cashew oil, coconut oil, vegetable oil, and combinations thereof.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inorganic salts is selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, sodium sulphate, magnesium chloride, magnesium sulphate, calcium chloride, calcium sulphate, and combinations thereof.
8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said buffer has a pH in the range of 5.5-7.
9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein size of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza spores varies from 20-100µm.
10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said Arbuscular Mycorrhiza spores is present at about 400/gm of microbead.
11. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said microbead has a particle size less than 200µm.

12. An encapsulated micro-organism(s) obtained by the method as claimed in any of the claim 1-11
, Description:As Attached