Extending in vitro digestion models to specific human populations: Perspectives, practical tools and bio-relevant information

Abstract

a b s t r a c tBackground: In vitro digestion models show great promise in facilitating the rationale design of foods. This paper provides a look into the current state of the art and outlines possible future paths for developments of digestion models recreating the diverse physiological conditions of specific groups of the human population. Scope and approach: Based on a collective effort of experts, this paper outlines considerations and parameters needed for development of new in vitro digestion models, e.g. gastric pH, enzymatic activities, gastric emptying rate and more. These and other parameters are detrimental to the adequate development of in vitro models that enable deeper insight into matters of food luminal breakdown as well as nutrient and nutraceutical bioaccessibility. Subsequently, we present an overview of some new and emerging in vitro digestion models mirroring the gastro-intestinal conditions of infants, the elderly and patients of cystic fibrosis or gastric bypass surgery. Key findings and conclusions: This paper calls for synchronization, harmonization and validation of potential developments in in vitro digestion models that would greatly facilitate manufacturing of foods tailored or even personalized, to a certain extent, to various strata of the human population.

Effect of cooking methods and intestinal conditions on lipolysis, proteolysis and xanthophylls bioaccessibility of eggs

“…Gastrointestinal environment will vary within different individuals depending on their age, gender, diet, etc. (Shani-Levi et al, 2017); these differences however, can become even more relevant under specific digestive disorders. It is the case of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI), which is a disorder associated to several diseases such as pancreatic cancer, chronic pancreatitis (CP) or cystic fibrosis (CF).…”

Role of the bolus degree of structure on the protein digestibility during in vitro digestion of a pea protein‐fortified sponge cake chewed by elderly

“…However, when interpreting our results, it is important to keep in mind that INFOGEST is a standardized protocol that is relevant in adult physiological conditions, and therefore does not take into account the changes in the gastrointestinal tract that overcome with aging. Some of these changes include a general decrease in enzyme secretion (except for α‐amylase), a higher pH gradient, lower gastrointestinal contractions, and slower transit passage rates (Rémond et al, ; Shani‐Levi et al, ). Further research is needed in order to confirm the results obtained in this study by taking into account these aspects.…”

“…In this regard, it is known that the best way to study protein metabolism is to perform in vivo studies in either humans or animals (Shani‐Levi et al, ); but given their high cost and ethical restrictions, an alternative approach is to assess digestibility and protein hydrolysis kinetics by in vitro digestion. These methods are rapid, less expensive, and less labor extensive and they allow the screening of various foods under standardized conditions.…”

Harnessing Microbes for Sustainable Development: Food Fermentation as a Tool for Improving the Nutritional Quality of Alternative Protein Sources

“…More sophisticated dynamic models for simulations of human gastrointestinal system have also been developed [73]. However, static in vitro models can also be easily adjusted to simulate very different conditions; it is possible to mimic, for example, a healthy adult, an infant, an elderly person, or a disease condition and to study the fate of dietary components in the digestive tract [74].…”