A new biosorbent Ca-crosslinked pectin/lignocellulose nanofibers/chitin nanofibers (PLCN) was synthesized for cholesterol and bile salts adsorption from simulated intestinal fluid during gastric-intestinal passage. The physico-chemical properties of PLCN were studied using SEM, FTIR, XRD, DSC and BET. Before gastrointestinal passage, PLCN had an amorphous single-phase, compact structure formed via hydrogen and van der Waals bonds that revealed an irregular shape with the shriveled surface but watery condition and enzymatic digestion led to create a porous structure without destruction because of the water-insoluble nanofibers, therefore increasing the adsorption capacity. The maximum adsorption capacity reached 37.9 and 5578.4 mg/g for cholesterol and bile salts, respectively. Freundlich isotherm model indicated the reversible heterogeneous adsorption of both cholesterol and bile salts on PLCN. Further, their adsorption followed pseudo-second order kinetic model. These results suggest that PLCN has potential as a gastrointestinal-resistant biosorbent for cholesterol and bile salts adsorption applicable in medicine and food industry.

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