1. Introduction
Obesity is a severe health problem worldwide, with continuously increasing morbidity and mortality of non-communicable chronic diseases caused by multiple factors. One of the factors is that excessive fatty food consumption leads to the accumulation of excess body fat and suffering from being overweight. The direct up-take of dietary fat in the digestion system occurs as pancreatic lipase is secreted into the small intestine and hydrolyzes triglycerides into monoglycerides and free fatty ac-ids prior to absorption in the small intestinal [
1]. The primary approach for preventing and treating obesity was lifestyle modification, including diet and exercise. Unfortunately, lifestyle modifications are often unsuccessful [
2]. Consequently, medications have been developed to address overweight and obesity, with the FDA approving five drugs-namely orlistat (Xenical, Alli), phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia), naltrexone-bupropion (Contrave), liraglutide (Saxenda), and semaglutide (Wegovy) for long-term use. However, these medications are associated with side effects such as diarrhea, stomach pain, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, and increased heart rate. As a result, researchers have been exploring alternative anti-obesity agents derived from plants or other natural sources, including dietary fiber like cellulose [
3], pectin [
4], the fiber found in pear fruit pomace [
5], and cereal [
6]. These alternatives have shown potential benefits in controlling obesity, offering a safe, cost-effective, and holistic approach to long-term health promotion. These natural substances have demonstrated the ability to modify the absorption of nutrients and chemicals in the gastrointestinal tract [
7], such as promoting satiation and improving satiety, and preventing obesity [
8], as well as delaying digestion and inhibiting enzyme activity [
9], especially nanomaterials like nanocellulose
Nanomaterials have been used in the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) as additive and functional foods [
10]. In particular, nanocellulose is a cellulose material with a broad spectrum of nanoscale range-based particles with different shapes, sizes, and surface properties [
11]. There are many attractive properties of nanocellulose for food applications, such as low cost, biodegradability, renewable nanomaterials, high absorbance, and easy processing. However, nanocellulose is essential to understanding the behavior and toxicity and its effects on food digestion for using as a digestion modifier and limiting edible fat absorption. To generate the emulsions, nanocellulose has the ability to form stable oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions through the “Pickering mechanism” where it forms a protective steric barrier around the oil droplets [
12]. Previous studies have suggested that the adsorption of nanocellulose onto lipid droplet surfaces can develop a physical barrier that inhibits the adsorption of lipase and bile salts and retarding lipid digestion in GIT. Furthermore, the presence of nanocellulose or dietary fiber in the aqueous phase of emulsions can lead to interactions with bile salts, phospholipids, or calcium and potentially increase viscosity. These effects can potentially alter lipid digestion [
13,
14]. Hence, the utilization of nanocellulose, an insoluble fiber found in nature, holds promise in addressing the potential benefits of controlling lipid digestibility and assimilation.
Based on a previous report, nanocellulose has been shown with non-toxic for humans and compatible with biological tissue [
15], and can not be digested during human GIT. Li et al. [
16] investigated three types of nanocellulose, such as cellulose nanocrystals and cellulose nanofibers, on lipid in vitro gastrointestinal digestion using corn oil-in-water emulsions and showed the different performances during each digestion stage to control the reduction of lipid digestion or release of free fatty acid (FFA). According to the FFA determination, the degree of lipid digestion was influenced by both the crystalline structure and form of nanocellulose, especially the morphology. Deloid et al. [
17] reported the ability of cellulose nanofibril (CNF) and cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) to reduce the hydrolysis of fatty foods consisting of heavy cream, coconut oil, mayonnaise, and corn oil. Moreover, CNF and CNC at 0.75 % (w/w) had no significant in vitro toxicity [
15]. Some previous research used oil-in-water emulsion with various nanocellulose to reduce triglyceride hydrolysis in fatty food and FFA release during simulated in vitro digestion [
13,
18,
19]. By the way, the research on the applications of nanocellulose with a granular or spherical shape in lipid digestibility to release free fatty acids has not been reported. Some previous studies have suggested that granular nanocellulose (GNC) exhibits promising applications as functional material due to its exceptional thermal stability [
20] and highly polydisperse nanoparticles [
21]. In addition, Ram et al. [
22] reported that GNC had been extensively evaluated in various fields, including synthesizing adsorbents for metal ions in wastewater, supercapacitors, carriers for drug delivery, and cellular uptake.
This research aimed to evaluate the feasibility of the granular nanocellulose particles (GNC) from sugarcane bagasse obtained from enzymatic hydrolysis under an optimum condition to reduce lipid digestion. The role of GNC in terms of concentration and simulation between GNC and olive oil formation was carried out. Moreover, the characteristics of GNC during the in vitro gastrointestinal simulation (particle size distribution, zeta potential, and interfacial between GNC and oil) were investigated. Furthermore, the cell cytotoxicity on HIEC-6 was assayed using the MTT method. The release of FFA on lipid digestibility and permeability through the HIEC-6 intestinal epithelium was evaluated to indicate the feasibility of reducing fat assimilation for application as a potential and alternative nano-biomaterial for food additive or supplement in fatty food for weight control, weight loss, and the management of obesity.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Materials
Potassium chloride (KCl), sodium hydrogen carbonate (NaHCO3), and calcium chloride (CaCl2) were purchased from LOBA Chemie (Mumbai, India). Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4) and ammonium carbonate (NH4)2CO3 were provided from QRëC® (New Zealand). Magnesium chloride (MgCl2), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and hydrochloric acid (HCl) were obtained from RCI Labscan (Bangkok, Thailand). Sodium chloride (NaCl) was purchased from CARLO ERBA Reagents (Val-de-Reuil, France). α-amylase (A3176, ≥5 units/mg solid, pepsin (P7000, ≥250 units/mg solid), bile salts (B8756, for microbiology), pancreatin (P7545, 8USP), Calcofluor White Stain and Nile red were from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA). Dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) was obtained from Bio Basic Inc. (Markham, Canada). Water was purified with a Milli-Q system (Millipore Milli-Q purification system). 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) was provided from Bio Basic Inc. (Markham, Canada). OptiMEM 1 Reduced Serum Medium, HEPES, GlutaMAX, Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), and fetal bovine serum (FBS) were from Thermo Fisher Scientific, Gibco (MA, USA).
2.2. Granular Nanocellulose Particle (GNC) Preparation
The granular nanocellulose particle was produced from the alkaline pretreated and bleached sugarcane bagasse cellulose by enzymatic hydrolysis based on Jirathampinyo et al. [
23]. Briefly, sugarcane bagasse was treated with 10% (w/v) sodium hydroxide at a 1:20 (w/v) ratio under an autoclave condition for 15 min. The solid residue was washed and dried. Then, the dried solid was bleached by sodium chlorite (2%, w/v) at 75°C for 120 min and washed with distilled water to pH 7.0. The extracted cellulose of sugarcane bagasse was obtained and hydrolyzed by enzymatic hydrolysis under an optimum condition. The mixture of extracted cellulose (0.13%, w/v) and commercial cellulase (containing endoglucanase 174 U/mL) in sodium acetate buffer (0.05 M, pH 5.0) was incubated at 29.5°C in a shaking incubator with a shaking rate of 120 rpm for 1 h. The mixture was centrifuged for 15 min. The solid residue was dispersed in deionized (DI) water in an ultrasonic bath (The Branson 2510, 40 Hz) for 10 min and centrifuged at 3,500 rpm for 10 min. The supernatant was collected and referred to as the granular nanocellulose particle (GNC-E) suspension
2.3. Simulated Gastrointestinal Tract (GIT) Fluids and Enzyme Solutions Preparation
The simulated GIT system, saliva, gastric and intestinal fluids were prepared. Simulated saliva fluid was prepared to obtain final electrolyte concentrations: 18.875 mM KCl, 17.0 mM NaHCO3, 4.625 mM KH2PO4, 0.06 mM (NH4)2CO3, and 0.05625 mM MgCl2. In the simulated gastric fluid, 59 mM NaCl, 31.25 mM NaHCO3, 8.625 mM KCl, 1.125 mM KH2PO4, 0.625 mM (NH4)2CO3, and 0.15 mM MgCl2 were prepared. Then, the pH value at 3 was adjusted with 1 M HCl. Likewise, simulated small intestinal fluid was prepared to a final concentration of electrolytes of 106.25 mM NaHCO3, 48 mM NaCl, 8.5 mM KCl, 1 mM KH2PO4, and 0.4125 mM MgCl2. pH value was adjusted to 7 with 1 M HCl. Enzyme solutions were prepared daily in each simulated fluid to receive the concentration of α-amylase (1,000 mg/L), pepsin (31,660.61 mg/L), and pancreatin (8,000 mg/L). Before use, the individual enzyme solution was pre-incubated at 37°C. Bile salt was prepared to obtain a concentration of 25,000 mg/L in simulated small intestinal fluid
2.4. In Vitro Simulated GIT Digestion System
All simulated GIT fluids and enzyme solutions were prepared and pre-incubated at 37°C before being used in the in vitro simulated GIT digestion. The procedure was based on Jakobek et al. [
24]. The oral, stomach and small intestinal stages were consistently in the system throughout the simulated GIT model. The ingested GNC suspension and GNC-olive oil mixture were added at the beginning of the digestion system. The initial solution was added to the oral phase containing 3.5 ml of simulated salivary fluid, 975 μl of H
2O, 25 μl of CaCl
2 (0.3 M), and 500 μl of α-amylase and mixed by vortex for 30s. The oral phase solution was mixed with the simulated gastric fluid (7.5 ml), 295 µl of H
2O, 5 µl of CaCl
2 (0.3 M), 200 µl of HCl (1 M), and 2 ml of pepsin. The mixture was vortexed and incubated in a water bath with shaking for 2 h at 37 °C. The simulated intestinal phase contained 11 ml of intestinal fluid, 3.61 ml of H
2O, 40 µl of CaCl
2 (0.3 M), 150 µl of NaOH (1 M), 5 ml of pancreatin, and 0.2 ml of bile salt was prepared. After that, the simulated oral and gastric digest solution was added and mixed with 150 μl of NaOH (1 M), 5 ml of pancreatin, and 0.2 ml of bile salt. The intestinal phase mixture was incubated in the shaking water bath for 2 h at 37 °C. All the solution from each stage was collected to analyze the characteristic of GNC during the GI tract system.
2.5. The Role of GNC in Releasing FFA Content in the Simulated GIT System
2.5.1. GNC Concentrations
The granular nanocellulose particle concentrations (0.01-0.08% w/v of the final concentration) were investigated for effect on releasing free fatty acid in GIT simulation. The suspension was mixed with 3 ml olive oil by vortex for 30 s, followed by simulated gastrointestinal tract model digestion. The final digesta after simulation were titrated with 50 mM sodium hydroxide using thymolphthalein as an indicator. The releasing FFA concentration was determined.
2.5.2. The Simulation Mixture of the GNC and Olive Oil
The GNC and olive oil simulation mixtures were prepared by vortex mixing for 30 s to obtain the GNC-mixing form, and the GNC emulsion form was generated by sonication for 21 s. Both GNC and olive oil simulation mixtures were added to the GIT system. The final digestion products were titrated with 50 mM sodium hydroxide using thymolphthalein as an indicator. The measurement of released-free fatty acid content was conducted.
2.6. The Characteristics of GNC During In Vitro GIT Simulation
2.6.1. The Particle Size Distribution and Zeta Potential Determination
A Zetasizer (Malvern Nano particle analyzer series, Nano ZS) was performed to determine the particle size distribution and zeta potential value of the GNC during in vitro GIT simulation. The reflective index at 1.47 and a temperature of 25°C with 0.01% of each sample were measured.
2.6.2. The GNC-Olive Oil Droplets Characterization
Simulating between GNC and olive oil formation (GNC-olive oil mixture and emulsion) in the initial stage prior to ingestion into the GIT simulation were observed by bright-field microscopy (CX43, Olympus corporation Japan) using 20× objective lenses. The oil droplet was stained with Nile red.
2.6.3. The Interfacial of GNC and Olive Oil Emulsion Observation
The GNC-olive oil emulsion of the initial and final digesta stages of GIT simulation was detected by confocal laser scanning microscope (ZEISS LSM 900) using 60× objective lenses. The oil droplet and GNC particles were stained with Nile red and calcofluor white, respectively.
2.7. Cytotoxicity of GNC
HIEC-6 (ATCC® CRL-3266TM) cells were cultured in the completed medium using OptiMEM 1 reduced serum medium containing 20 mM HEPES, 10 mM GlutaMAX, 10 ng/mL epidermal growth factor (EGF), and 4% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and incubated at 37°C in a humidified atmosphere of 95% air and 5% CO
2. The HIEC-6 cultures were seeded and maintained in a 96-well plate at 20,000 cells/well density until 90% confluence. After the 24 h preconditioned, cell cultures were treated with various concentrations of GNC (0.01-0.50% w/v) and incubated at 37°C in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO
2 for 24 h using the medium as the control. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay [
25] was used for determining cell viability. The MTT solution (concentration 5 mg/mL in phosphate buffer saline; PBS) was added and then continued incubated for 4 h. After removing the MTT solution, DMSO was added to dissolve the formazan crystals for determining the absorbance at 550 and 620 nm using a microplate reader (VarioskanTM Flash Multimode Reader, Thermo scientific
®, USA). Compared to the control, the percentage of cell viability was estimated.
2.8. The Lipid Digestibility and Permeability of HIEC-6 Cell Monolayer
The final digesta after simulation was treated in the intestinal phase for 2 h digestion times. The FFA concentration from lipid digestibility was determined using a colorimetric assay kit.
Figure 1 demonstrates a schematic of a transwell support system for permeability assay of HIEC-6 cell monolayer. HIEC-6 cells were seeded at 1×10
5 cells/ insert on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) micropore (0.4 µm of diameter) membranes into transwell inserts placed in a multiwell 24 plates and then incubated at 37°C in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO
2. The medium was changed every two days until day 8, and the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) was measured using a volt-ohmmeter to assess the integrity of the HIEC-6 monolayer. The final digest solutions of the GIT digestion were mixed with the medium in a 1:3 (v/v) ratio and treated on the apical side. After adding the digest solution for 2 h, the free fatty acid and total triglyceride contents of the basolateral sides were determined using a colorimetric assay kit.
2.9. Statistic Analysis
The experimental results were carried out in triplicate, and their statistical significance was expressed in terms of average mean and standard deviations (SD). The IBM SPSS Statistics of Windows version 25.0 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA) was used to evaluate the statistical differences using One-way ANOVA at a p-value of less than 0.05 (P<0.05).
Author Contributions
W.C.: Experimental, Methodology, Investigation, Data curation, Writing - original draft preparation; N.C.: Suggestion, Review & editing; C.S.: Review & editing, Funding acquisition; J.T.: Conceptualization, Validation, and formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Review & editing, Supervision, Correspondence, Project administration.