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Effects of ingested nanocellulose on intestinal microbiota and homeostasis in Wistar Han rats.

ABSTRACT: Micron scale cellulose materials are "generally regarded as safe" (GRAS) as binders and thickeners in food products. However, nanocellulose materials, which have unique properties that can improve food quality and safety, have not received US-Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval as food ingredients. In vitro and in vivo toxicological studies of ingested nanocellulose revealed minimal cytotoxicity, and no subacute in vivo toxicity. However, ingested materials may modulate gut microbial populations, or alter aspects of intestinal function not elucidated by toxicity testing, which could have important health implications. Here, we report the results of studies conducted in a rat gavage model to assess the effects of ingested cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) on the fecal microbiome and metabolome, intestinal epithelial expression of cell junction genes, and ileal cytokine production. Feces, plasma, and ilea were collected from Wistar Han rats before and after five weeks of biweekly gavages with water or cream, with or without 1% CNF. CNF altered microbial diversity, and diminished specific species that produce short chain fatty acids, and that are associated with increased serum insulin and IgA production. CNF had few effects on the fecal metabolome, with significant changes in only ten metabolites of 366 measured. Exposure to CNF also altered expression of epithelial cell junction genes, and increased production of cytokines that modulate proliferation of CD8 T cells. These perturbations likely represent initiation of an adaptive immune response, however, no associated pathology was seen within the duration of the study. Additional studies are needed to better understand the health implications of these changes in long term.

SUBMITTER: Khare S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7080203 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Nanoscale materials derived from natural biopolymers like cellulose and chitosan have many potentially useful agri-food and oral drug delivery applications. Because of their large and potentially bioactive surface areas and other unique physico-chemical properties, it is essential when evaluating their toxicological impact to assess potential effects on the digestion and absorption of co-ingested nutrients. Here, the effects of cellulose nanofibers (CNF), cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), and chitosan nanoparticles (Chnp) on the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates were studied. Starch digestion was assessed by measuring maltose released during simulated digestion of starch solutions. Glucose absorption was assessed by measuring translocation from the resulting digestas across an in vitro transwell tri-culture model of the small intestinal epithelium and calculating the area under the curve increase in absorbed glucose, analogous to the glycemic index. At 1% w/w, CNF and Chnp had small but significant effects (11% decrease and 14% increase, respectively) and CNC had no effect on starch hydrolysis during simulated digestion of a 1% w/w rice starch solution. In addition, at 2% w/w CNC had no effect on amylolysis in 1% solutions of either rice, corn, or wheat starch. Similarly, absorption of glucose from digestas of starch solutions (i.e., from maltose), was unaffected by 1% w/w CNF or CNC, but was slightly increased (10%, p<0.05) by 1% Chnp, possibly due to the slightly higher maltose concentration in the Chnp-containing digestas. In contrast, all of the test materials caused sharp increases (~1.2, 1.5, and 1.6 fold for CNC, CNF, and Chnp, respectively) in absorption of glucose from starch-free digestas spiked with free glucose at a concentration corresponding to complete hydrolysis of 1% w/w starch. The potential for ingested cellulose and chitosan nanomaterials to increase glucose absorption could have important health implications. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the observed increases and to evaluate the potential glycemic effects in an intact in vivo system.

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Effects of ingested nanocellulose on intestinal microbiota and homeostasis in Wistar Han rats.

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