A comparative analysis of microfibrillated versus conventional cellulose after enzymatic digestions

Microfibrillated cellulose applications are vast and continue to grow across science disciplines. This growth increases exposures, including ingestion scenarios. Previous studies have shown that conventional cellulose is safe for consumption, while other studies indicate that microfibrillated cellulose has similar physicochemical properties to conventional cellulose. This new study compared microfibrillated cellulose with conventional cellulose after two simulated digestions to confirm that degradation patterns are the same between microfibrillated and conventional cellulose materials. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry results show that the conventional and microfibrillated cellulose spectra are strikingly similar for cellulase digestion and simulated human gastrointestinal digestion. No glucose, cellobiose, or other sugar monomers or dimers were seen in the standardized simulated gastrointestinal digestion, indicating that the degradation of sugars is not taking place. Further studies, which include the role of the gut microbiome, are needed to ensure the safety of the consumption of microfibrillated cellulose and to develop new microfibrillated materials. The data presented here demonstrates an efficient method to understand cellulose materials' degradation patterns using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.