Abstract
This study focuses on the development of an in vitro digestion model simulating oral, gastric and small intestinal fluids, applicable to the digestion of all three macronutrients, carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. To that aim, the effect of integrating intestinal mucosal enzymes in the small intestinal phase of the digestion reaction was investigated, together with that of other parameters including pepsin and pancreatin concentration, and pH of the small intestinal phase. Individual carbohydrate and protein ingredients for which digestive properties in vivo are generally understood (i.e. common corn starch, whey protein isolate) were used as reference substrates to validate the model and, at the end of development, the model was applied to evaluate the digestion of a reference lipid ingredient (i.e. olive oil) and of all three macronutrients present in a whole food system. Carbohydrate, protein and lipid hydrolysis was monitored, respectively, by quantitation of glucose, free amino groups and free fatty acids released at different times of digestion. The results demonstrate that including intestinal mucosal enzymes in the intestinal phase of digestion in vitro allows efficient digestion of starch and other carbohydrates into final product glucose and it also influences protein hydrolysis. Digestion profiles consistent with published in vitro and in vivo data support the validity of the developed method as an advanced tool for screening digestion of all three macronutrients whether presented alone or in a whole food system, all in a single digestion reaction.
Highlights
Development of new food ingredients and food systems is an essential aspect of innovation in the food industry and, as an integral part of the development process, a profound chemical and rheological characterization of the new food ingredient or system is required
The results demonstrate that including intestinal mucosal enzymes in the intestinal phase of digestion in vitro allows efficient digestion of starch and other carbohydrates into final product glucose and it influences protein hydrolysis
To that effect, integrating intestinal mucosal enzyme extracts was of essence and we focused on evaluating and optimizing amount of intestinal mucosal enzyme extract needed to be incorporated into the digestion reactions that would result in physiologically relevant digestion, primarily for carbohydrates, in addition to evaluating their impact on both carbohydrate and protein hydrolysis, upon modifying other conditions of digestion, namely pepsin, pancreatin concentrations, and pH of small intestinal solution
Summary
Development of new food ingredients and food systems is an essential aspect of innovation in the food industry and, as an integral part of the development process, a profound chemical and rheological characterization of the new food ingredient or system is required. Understanding of the digestive properties becomes critical to the development of those new ingredients and food. There is an increasing interest in the design of food structures to manipulate rate of digestion, as an approach to impact satiety and/or control location of nutrient delivery along the gastrointestinal tract [1]. A number of research articles have demonstrated that matrix, structure, ingredient interactions and processing of foods can have a critical impact on digestion [1] [2] [3]. In vivo digestion screening tests using animal or human subjects is economically hindered, time consuming and, in the case of ingredients under development, unsafe. An alternative to in vivo digestion are in vitro digestion models which, while not without limitations, are widely accepted tools in the fields of food/feed science and nutrition to screen digestion properties prior to in vivo studies [4]
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