The resilience of nanocrystalline cellulose viscosity to simulated digestive processes and its influence on glucose diffusion

Intake of dietary fibre may modulate digesta viscosity and suppress the rise of postprandial plasma glucose by attenuating glucose diffusion in the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract. In this study, nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC), extracted by sulfuric acid was morphologically characterised by atomic force microscopy. To investigate the influence of digestive processes on NCC viscosity, NCC-protein-starch systems, and NCC suspensions were subjected to two-step static in vitro digestions using Infodigest protocol. Changes in viscosity and subsequent release and diffusion of glucose were monitored. The results demonstrated that the crystalline rod-like NCC particles were sensitive to dilution and constituents in the simulated digestive fluids, and could modulate viscosity of the digesta. Consequently, glucose release and diffusion rates were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in NCC-food system compared with control. NCC may be used as a dietary fibre in food systems to modulate viscosity and delay the digestion and diffusion of starch and glucose respectively.