Electrostatically reinforced and sealed nanocellulose-based macrosphere by alginate/chitosan multi-layer coatings for delivery of probiotics

Probiotic supplements have been widely employed to change gut microbiome compositions for the treatment of numerous human disorders since gut flora has a tight association with human health and disease. However, the viability of probiotics has been a major barrier to the application of probiotic products. Here, we developed an electrostatically reinforced and sealed nanocellulose-based macrosphere for probiotic encapsulation. The inside porous gel sphere provides abundant and relatively independent porous spaces for probiotics to live in. The introduction of chitosan hydrochloride (CHC) and alginate (ALG) strengthened the gel structure and contributed to the formulation of a multi-layered structure with pH-responsive properties. The mild strengthening and coating processes avoid severe damage to the sensitive probiotics in the processing process, and the synthesized multi-layer macrospheres could protect probiotics from gastric acid and bile salt conditions. In addition, the dissolvability of the outer shell and the stable inner porous skeleton in intestinal conditions allow the gradual release of the entrapped probiotics in targeted environments. Overall, this work suggests the electrostatically reinforced and sealed nanocellulose-based macrospheres are ideal materials for the probiotic delivery application.