Encapsulation, characterization and in vitro releasing of xylanase and glucose oxidase (GOD) into cellulose nanocrystals stabilized three-layer microcapsules.

The xylanase and glucose oxidase (GOD) are easily inactivated, restricting their applicaiton in food and agriculture fields. In this work, xylanase and glucose oxidase (GOD) were encapsulated into cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) stabilized three-layer microcapsules via ionic gelation technique to improve their bioavailability and targeted delivery. Encapsulation efficiency (EE), physicochemical properties, and in vitro releasing of xylanase and GOD encapsulated in microcapsules were investigated. EE of xylanase and GOD reached the highest values (73.34 % and 67.16 %, respectively) at an enzyme concentration of 35 mg/mL. In vitro experiments revealed that cumulative release of both enzymes encapsulated in microcapsules was greater than that of controls in simulated gastric tract (SGT) and simulated intestinal tract (SIT). The release of xylanase increased from 41.62 % (gastric tract) to 77.13 % (intestine tract), and release of GOD increased from 42.63 % to 72.11 %, respectively. Novel hydrogel carriers as enzymes encapsulation system could effectively improve the survival rate of enzymes in harsh environments and could be widely employed in food, feed and other industries.