Influence of Bacterial Nanocellulose Consumption on the Content of Macronutrients and Trace Elements in the Organs of Rats.

Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) prepared by the methods of "green" bionanotechnological synthesis is considered a promising food additive and food ingredient. At the same time, the risk of reducing the bioavailability of minerals due to their adsorption on BNC fibers having a high specific surface area and high adsorption and ion exchange capacity cannot be excluded. We studied the effect of oral administration of BNC on the accumulation of macronutrients and trace elements included in the diet in the liver and kidneys of laboratory animals. Male Wistar rats received BNC at doses of 0 (control), 1, 10, and 100 mg/kg body weight as part of their diet for 8 weeks. The content of 30 macronutrients and trace elements in the liver and kidneys was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. It was found that BNC at all doses did not significantly change the content of the main essential macronutrients and trace elements in the organs (Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, Se, and Zn), which indicates the absence of a negative effect on their bioavailability. Among other elements, a statistically significant decrease in the content of As, B, Cd, Co, and Pb in the liver and an increase in Al, B, Ba, Ni, and Pb in the kidneys were revealed (more than 20% of the control). The revealed decrease in the bioaccumulation of cobalt can indicate inhibition of assimilation of certain chemical forms of this trace element under the action of BNC.