The study of the potential application of nanofiber microcapsules loading lactobacillus in targeted delivery of digestive tract in vitro

Abstract The study explores the potential application of the lactic acid bacteria coated in nanofiber microcapsules. Nanofiber microcapsules loading Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM (L. acidophilus NCFM) were fabricated by electrostatic spinning; the encapsulated efficiency, storage stability, survival in simulated stomach condition, and the stability in water, duodenum stimulated and bile salt of the coated bacteria were determined. The results showed that nanofibers with 209.7 nm mean diameter were produced with 96.7% encapsulation efficiency, and were almost insoluble in water. After 30 d storage at 25 °C, the reduction of L. acidophilus NCFM coated in nanofiber microcapsules was less than that of uncoated L. acidophilus NCFM (0.26 CFU/g vs. 0.86 CFU/g). The nanofiber microcapsules had better resistance to simulated rumen pH and a high concentration of bile salts. In the simulated duodenum pH, the survival rate of L. acidophilus NCFM coated in nanofiber microcapsules in pH2 was higher than that in pH3. In summary, these results demonstrated that nanofiber microcapsules with L. acidophilus NCFM have a good shape, tiny size and great stability in water and storage at room temperature, great encapsulated efficiency for the bacteria, and could resist stomach pH but release the bacteria at duodenum pH.