Working with our collaborators at Baylor University, UC Davis and the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory we developed and published a biologically relevant gastrointestinal testing strategy to evaluate the safety of surface-functionalized cellulose materials following oral exposure, based on guidance from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

A three-stage simulated gastrointestinal digestion mimics typical conditions experienced by materials as they pass along the gastrointestinal tract. An intestinal co-culture model mimics the biological complexity of the human gut, and was used to evaluate potential cytotoxicity, impacts to barrier integrity, oxidative stress, and pro-inflammatory response.

The strategy was used to create a toxicological profile of twelve industrially relevant surface-functionalized cellulose materials. None of the cellulose treatments caused significant cytotoxic responses compared to untreated or vehicle controls.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other organizations such as the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), EFSA, and Health Canada are dedicated to reducing and replacing animal testing with alternative testing strategies (ATS) or new approach methodologies. This study demonstrates the use of in vitro assessments evaluate the safety of next-generation cellulose materials and provide safety data to advance the commercial adoption of sustainable and functional cellulose materials in composites, laminates, barrier films, and coatings for more sustainable food packaging.

Our work is part of a larger project, funded by P3 Nano, to develop a safer-by-design toolbox of ATS methods to evaluate the safety of next-generation cellulose materials for screening evaluations during product development.

Access “The impact of surface functionalization of cellulose following simulated digestion and gastrointestinal cell-based model exposure” here.