Fig. 6. LIFT hydrogel co-encapsulation of CaCO3 protects bacterial activity.
a, L. lactis viability, as measured by a luminescent ATP quantification assay, after 10 min incubation in PBS or SGF at 37 °C. Luminescence was normalized to that of bacteria incubated in PBS. Statistical analysis was performed by two-tailed Student’s t-test, n = 3 independent experiments. b, Viability of L. lactis encapsulated in LIFT hydrogels with or without CaCO3 and incubated in SGF for 3 h. Statistical analysis was performed by two-tailed Student’s t-test, n = 3 independent experiments. c, Viability of L. lactis encapsulated in LIFT hydrogels after 6–7 h in female Yorkshire pigs. Hydrogels were retrieved from porcine stomach and randomly sampled. Luminescence values were normalized by hydrogel mass and to control hydrogels without CaCO3. Statistical analysis was performed by two-tailed Student’s t-test, n = 3 independent pig experiments. All data are presented as mean ± standard deviation.