Nanofiber could deliver lactic acid bacteria to the intestine of ruminant in vitro experiment.

This study investigates the use of nanofiber microcapsules produced by electrostatic spinning as a carrier for the delivery of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to the intestine of ruminants. We hypothesized that the LAB encapsulated into nanofiber microcapsules can be delivered to a ruminant's intestinal tract with little effect on the rumen fermentation and related bacteria. The in vitro experiment included three treatments: control group; 0.01g Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM (L. acidophilus NCFM) encapsulated in nanofiber microcapsules by electrostatic spinning group (ELAN, 2.0 × 10  CFU/g); and 0.01g L. acidophilus NCFM powder group (LANP, 2.0 × 10  CFU/g), each incubated with 30 ml of buffer rumen fluid for 48h to determine the effect on rumen fermentation, then the abundance of L. acidophilus NCFM in the intestine was estimated using the modified in vitro three-step procedure. Treatment responses were statistically analysed using one-way ANOVA. The results showed that compared to the control, the ELAN group had a significant increase in pH (p < 0.05), while the LANP group had a non-significant decrease in pH (p > 0.05). LANP and ELAN groups had no significant influence on total volatile fatty acid and individual volatile fatty acids (p > 0.05), apart from isobutyric acid of both groups, which reduced (p < 0.05). ELAN group had a decreasing trend of gas production and dry matter digestion, while the LANP group increased them significantly (p < 0.05). During the 16h and 48h rumen incubation, compared with control, there was no significant change in all bacteria in the ELAN group (p > 0.05), while the LANP group increased the relative abundance levels of S. bovis, S. ruminantium, M. elsdenii, F. succinogenes, B. fibrisolvens, Lactobacillus, L. acidophilus NCFM (p < 0.05). In the intestinal part, compared with control, the relative abundance of L. acidophilus NCFM in the ELAN group increased significantly (p < 0.05), while the result was not observed in the LANP group. We concluded based on our findings that L. acidophilus NCFM could be protected by nanofiber microcapsules and delivered to the intestinal site with little influence on the rumen fermentation and bacterial community, suggesting nanofiber microcapsules prepared by electrospinning technology could be used as a carrier for rumen-protected study.