Bacterial nanocellulose-pectin bionanocomposites as prebiotics against drying and gastrointestinal condition

• Pectin-bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) bionanocomposite was first fabricated as a prebiotic protective matrix.
• BNC incorporation improved the surface properties of the bionanocomposite.
• The bionanocomposite protected Bacillus coagulans against drying and simulated gastrointestinal juices.
• The bionanocomposite can be used for probiotic storage during long time in a variety of temperature.

Various encapsulating materials have been suggested to protect probiotics, but the potential of nanomaterials is yet to be exploited. This study aimed to improve the survivability of Bacillus coagulans entrapping into bionanocomposites comprising of bacterial nanocellulose (BNC), pectin and Schizophyllum commune extract were investigated as new matrices to protect probiotics. The bionanocomposite design was optimized to obtain the highest prebiotic score and survivability of probiotic under drying process and gastrointestinal condition using the simplex-lattice mixture method. The optimal bionanocomposite formulation was obtained by mixing 20% pectin with 80% BNC. High survival rate of B. coagulans after microwave drying (99.43%) and sequential digestion under stimulated gastrointestinal fluids (94.76%) with optimum prebiotic score for B. coagulans (1.00) and for Escherichia coli (0.99), were obtained. Nanoscale properties of BNC, high crystallinity and available surface area resulted in high probiotic protection. Stability test during storage period at ambient temperature, 4 °C and −20 °C performed viability reduction, respectively, 1.3, 1.7 and 1.8 log CFU/g, which inferred the optimal bionanocomposite could be candidate as useful probiotics protection system in a variety of temperature during long time.