Fig. 4

Uptake of food derived micro/nano-particles via oral mucosal macrophages. The red dots observed in cellular plasma (indicated with white or black arrows on the graphs) are Nile-red stained porcine bone soup UF-MNPs and SEC-NPs. The cell nuclei were stained in blue with a fluorescent dye Hoechst 33342. a–f: confocal fluorescence micrographs of macrophages, the particle/cell ratios were 3500/1 on oral macrophages. Cell images at different magnifications are given wherein the images of a single cell (framed with white square in diagram a, b, and c) are enlarged and presented as diagram d–f, scale bar = 5 μm. The red and blue fluorescent cell images are merged and presented on the left, the fluorescent and bright cell images are merged and presented on the right