ACS applied materials & interfacesJul 12, 2025

Making special sugar-based microspheres to deliver probiotics targeting inflamed gut cells in colitis treatment

Gut-Brain Axis Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Apr 3, 2026

Abstract

Probiotics@CCH microspheres have an average diameter of approximately 276 μm and demonstrate targeted localization in a DSS-induced colitis mouse model.

Probiotics play a key role in regulating intestinal immune balance and gut health.
Oral delivery of probiotics often encounters issues like nonspecific distribution and low efficacy.
A targeted delivery system was created using a modified chitosan matrix linked to hyaluronic acid, aimed at enhancing probiotic delivery to colonic inflammation sites.
The probiotics@CCH microspheres showed a high capture rate for inflammatory cells and prolonged retention in the intestine.
This system may help maintain intestinal health by altering gut microbiota, increasing short-chain fatty acid production, and supporting intestinal barrier integrity.

Simplified

Probiotics play a crucial role in regulating intestinal immune homeostasis and supporting gut health; however, oral administration faces challenges such as nonspecific distribution and low efficacy. To achieve precise and efficient delivery, in this study, a targeted delivery system embedded probiotics to the colonic inflammatory site CD44 was constructed by covalently linkingyaluronic acid (HA) toysteine-modifiedhitosan (CCH) using microfluidic technology. Two probiotic strains,FL-276.1 andATCC 19398, were encapsulated within the modified chitosan matrix to form probiotics@CCH microspheres (MSs), with an average diameter of approximately 276 μm. Based on the receptor-ligand binding mechanism of HA and CD44, combined with the intestinal mucosal adhesion properties conferred by cysteine-modified chitosan, the probiotics@CCH MSs exhibited a high capture rate for inflammatory Caco-2 cells and demonstrated prolonged retention and targeted localization in a DSS-induced colitis mouse model. Furthermore, probiotics@CCH MSs contributed to maintaining intestinal homeostasis by modulating gut microbiota composition, enhancing short-chain fatty acid production, and supporting the intestinal barrier integrity. The microfluidic-based delivery system facilitates the precise localization of probiotics within the intestine, providing a theoretical basis for enhancing probiotic applications in gut health management. h c c Bifidobacterium bifidum Clostridium butyricum

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Making special sugar-based microspheres to deliver probiotics targeting inflamed gut cells in colitis treatment

Abstract

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