RESUMEN

PURPOSE: The term bioaccessibility refers to the proportion of a nutrient released from a complex food matrix during digestion and, therefore, becoming potentially available for absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. In the present study, we assessed the starch and protein bioaccessibility from a range of wheat endosperm products differing in particle size. METHODS: Five porridge meals (size A, flour, mean particle size 0.11 mm, size B, small, mean particle size 0.38 mm, size C, semolina, mean particle size 1.01 mm, size D, medium, mean particle size 1.44 mm, size E, large, mean particle size 1.95 mm) with theoretically different postprandial glycaemic responses were subjected to oral processing in vitro, followed by simulated gastric and duodenal digestion. RESULTS: A significant increase (P < 0.001) in starch degradation was observed in size A (52%) compared with size E (25%). Both sizes C and D gave less, although not significantly, digestible starch (32 and 28%, respectively). The glucose release significantly decreased as the particle size of the meal increased (92.16% detected for size A vs 47.39% for size E). In agreement with starch degradation and glucose release, size A gave the most digestible protein. CONCLUSIONS: This data provide further evidence that, by decreasing the size of wheat endosperm, starch release and glycaemic response are enhanced. We also showed that protein bioaccessibility followed a similar trend as for starch digestion. Finally, these results support the hypothesis that different degrees of starch encapsulation elicit different blood glucose responses.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The goal of the present study was to quantify the rate and extent of polyphenols released in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) from natural (NS) and blanched (BS) almond skins. A dynamic gastric model of digestion which provides a realistic simulation of the human stomach was used. In order to establish the effect of a food matrix on polyphenols bioaccessibility, NS and BS were either digested in water (WT) or incorporated into home-made biscuits (HB), crisp-bread (CB) and full-fat milk (FM). Phenolic acids were the most bioaccessible class (68.5% release from NS and 64.7% from BS). WT increased the release of flavan-3-ols (p < 0.05) and flavonols (p < 0.05) from NS after gastric plus duodenal digestion, whereas CB and HB were better vehicles for BS. FM lowered the % recovery of polyphenols, the free total phenols and the antioxidant status in the digestion medium, indicating that phenolic compounds could bind protein present in the food matrix. The release of bioactives from almond skins could explain the beneficial effects associated with almond consumption.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The cell walls (dietary fibre) of edible plants, which consist of mainly non-starch polysaccharides, play an important role in regulating nutrient bioaccessibility (release) during digestion in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Recent studies have shown that structurally-intact cell walls hinder lipid release from the parenchyma cells of almond seeds. A theoretical model was developed to predict the bioaccessibility of lipid using simple geometry and data on cell dimensions and particle size for calculating the number of ruptured cells in cut almond cubes. Cubes (2 mm) and finely-ground flour of low and high lipid bioaccessibility, respectively, were prepared from almond cotyledons. The model predictions were compared with data from in vitro gastric and duodenal digestion of almond cubes and flour. The model showed that lipid bioaccessibility is highly dependent on particle size and cell diameter. Only a modified version of the model (the Extended Theoretical Model, ETM), in which the cells at the edges and corners were counted once only, was acceptable for the full range of particle sizes. Lipid release values predicted from the ETM were 5.7% for almond cubes and 42% for almond flour. In vitro digestion of cubes and flour showed that lipid released from ruptured cells was available for hydrolysis and resulted in lipid losses of 9.9 and 39.3%, respectively. The ETM shows considerable potential for predicting lipid release in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Further work is warranted to evaluate the efficacy of this model to accurately predict nutrient bioaccessibility in a broad range of edible plants.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

A number of studies have demonstrated that consuming almonds increases satiety but does not result in weight gain, despite their high energy and lipid content. To understand the mechanism of almond digestion, in the present study, we investigated the bioaccessibility of lipids from masticated almonds during in vitro simulated human digestion, and determined the associated changes in cell-wall composition and cellular microstructure. The influence of processing on lipid release was assessed by using natural raw almonds (NA) and roasted almonds (RA). Masticated samples from four healthy adults (two females, two males) were exposed to a dynamic gastric model of digestion followed by simulated duodenal digestion. Between 7·8 and 11·1 % of the total lipid was released as a result of mastication, with no significant differences between the NA and RA samples. Significant digestion occurred during the in vitro gastric phase (16·4 and 15·9 %) and the in vitro duodenal phase (32·2 and 32·7 %) for the NA and RA samples, respectively. Roasting produced a smaller average particle size distribution post-mastication; however, this was not significant in terms of lipid release. Light microscopy showed major changes that occurred in the distribution of lipid in all cells after the roasting process. Further changes were observed in the surface cells of almond fragments and in fractured cells after exposure to the duodenal environment. Almond cell walls prevented lipid release from intact cells, providing a mechanism for incomplete nutrient absorption in the gut. The composition of almond cell walls was not affected by processing or simulated digestion.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

A key element in understanding how human milk proteins support the health and development of the neonate is to understand how individual proteins are affected during digestion. In the present study, a dynamic gastric model was used to simulate infant gastric digestion of human milk, and a subsequent proteomic approach was applied to study the behavior of individual proteins. A total of 413 human milk proteins were quantified in this study. This approach demonstrated a high degree of variability in the susceptibility of human milk proteins to gastric digestion. Specifically this study reports that lipoproteins are among the class of slowly digested proteins during gastric processes. The levels of integral lysozyme C and partial lactadherin in milk whey increase over digestion. Mucins, ribonuclease 4, and macrophage mannose receptor 1 are also resistant to gastric digestion. The retention or enhancement in whey protein abundance can be ascribed to the digestive release of milk-fat-globule-membrane or immune-cell enclosed proteins that are not initially accessible in milk. Immunoglobulins are more resistant to digestion compared to total milk proteins, and within the immunoglobulin class IgA and IgM are more resistant to digestion compared to IgG. The gastric digestion of milk proteins becomes more apparent from this study.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

We investigated the antimicrobial properties of polyphenol-rich fractions derived from raw shelled and roasted salted pistachios. American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), food and clinical isolates, of Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas mirabilis), Gram-positive bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes, Enterococcus hirae, Enterococcus faecium, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus), the yeasts Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis and the fungus Aspergillus niger were used. Pistachio extracts were active against Gram-positive bacteria with a bactericidal effect observed against L. monocytogenes (ATCC strains and food isolates), S. aureus and MRSA clinical isolates. Extracts from raw shelled pistachios were more active than those from roasted salted pistachios. The bactericidal activity of pistachio extracts could be used to help control the growth of some microorganisms in foods to improve safety and may find application as a topical treatment for S. aureus.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

PURPOSE: To identify the key parameters involved in cereal starch digestion and associated glycaemic response by the utilisation of a dynamic gastro-duodenal digestion model. METHODS: Potential plasma glucose loading curves for each meal were calculated and fitted to an exponential function. The area under the curve (AUC) from 0 to 120 min and total digestible starch was used to calculate an in vitro glycaemic index (GI) value normalised against white bread. Microscopy was additionally used to examine cereal samples collected in vitro at different stages of gastric and duodenal digestion. RESULTS: Where in vivo GI data were available (4 out of 6 cereal meals) no significant difference was observed between these values and the corresponding calculated in vitro GI value. CONCLUSION: It is possible to simulate an in vivo glycaemic response for cereals when the gastric emptying rate (duodenal loading) and kinetics of digestible starch hydrolysis in the duodenum are known.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVE: The bioaccessibility of bioactives from pistachios has not been previously evaluated. In the present study we quantified the release of polyphenols, xanthophylls (lutein), and tocopherols from pistachios (raw pistachios, roasted salted pistachios, and muffins made with raw pistachios) during simulated human digestion. METHODS: A dynamic gastric model of digestion that provides a realistic and predictive simulation of the physical and chemical processing and accurately mimics the residence time and the luminal environment within the human stomach was used for the digestion studies. RESULTS: More than 90% of the polyphenols were released in the gastric compartment, with virtually total release in the duodenal phase. No significant differences were observed between raw shelled and roasted salted pistachio. The presence of a food matrix (muffin) decreased the bioaccessibility of protocatechuic acid (78%) and luteolin (36%). Almost 100% bioaccessibility of lutein and tocopherols was found after duodenal digestion, with no difference among the three samples. CONCLUSION: The rapid release of the assayed bioactives in the stomach maximizes the potential for absorption in the duodenum and contributes to the beneficial relation between pistachio consumption and health-related outcomes.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The aim of this study was to investigate survival of three commercial probiotic strains (Lactobacillus casei subsp. shirota, L. casei subsp. immunitas, Lactobacillus acidophilus subsp. johnsonii) in the human upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract using a dynamic gastric model (DGM) of digestion followed by incubation under duodenal conditions. Water and milk were used as food matrices and survival was evaluated in both logarithmic and stationary phase. The % of recovery in logarithmic phase ranged from 1.0% to 43.8% in water for all tested strains, and from 80.5% to 197% in milk. Higher survival was observed in stationary phase for all strains. L. acidophilus subsp. johnsonii showed the highest survival rate in both water (93.9%) and milk (202.4%). Lactic acid production was higher in stationary phase, L. casei subsp. shirota producing the highest concentration (98.2 mM) after in vitro gastric plus duodenal digestion.

Asunto(s)

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

PURPOSE: To investigate the physical processes involved in the emulsification of self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDSs) and the use of the Dynamic Gastric Model (DGM) as a characterisation tool. METHODS: SEDDSs based on soybean oil, Tween 80, Span 80 and ibuprofen were prepared and their equilibrium phase diagrams established. The emulsification behaviour in a range of media was studied using polarised light microscopy and particle sizing. The behaviour of the SEDDSs in the DGM and conventional testing equipment was assessed. RESULTS: A range of liquid crystalline mesophases was observed, enhanced in the presence of the drug. Polarised light microscopy showed different emulsification processes in the presence and absence of the drug, which was also manifest in different droplet sizes. The droplet size distribution varied between the DGM and the USP II dissolution apparatus. CONCLUSIONS: The model SEDDS displays complex liquid crystalline behaviour which may be intimately involved in the emulsification process, which in turn may alter particle size on emulsification, although there remains a question as to the in vivo significance of this effect. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the DGM represents a very promising new method of assessing the biological fate of SEDDSs.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

In the present study six probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus strains were investigated for their ability to survive in the human upper gastrointestinal tract through a dynamic gastric model of digestion. MRS broth was used as delivery vehicle and survival was investigated during in vitro gastric and gastric plus duodenal digestion. Results highlighted that all tested strains showed good survival rate during both gastric and duodenal digestion. In particular, three strains exhibited a great survival showing a recovery percentage in the range between 117 and 276%. In agreement with survival data, high lactic acid production was detected for all strains, confirming their metabolic activity during digestion.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Nutrient bioaccessibility and subsequent absorption will be directly influenced by changes in food structure during gastrointestinal processing. The accompanying paper (Tydeman et al. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2010, 58, doi: 10.1021/jf101034a) reported results on the effect of carrot processing on the release of carotene into lipid phases during in vitro gastric and small intestinal digestions. This paper describes results from in vivo digestion of two of the types of processed carrot used previously, raw grated carrot and cooked carrot mashed to a puree. Ileostomy effluents from human volunteers fed meals containing the carrot material were used to study tissue microstructure and carotene release. Raw carrot shreds and intact cells that had survived the pureeing process were identifiable in ileal effluent. The gross tissue structure in the shreds had not changed following digestion. Carotene-containing particles remained encapsulated in intact cells, but were absent from ruptured cells. Microscopy revealed marked changes to the cell walls including swelling and pectin solubilization, which increased in severity with increasing residence time in the upper gut. These observations were entirely consistent with the in vitro observations. It was concluded that a single intact cell wall is sufficient to reduce carotene bioaccessibility from a cell by acting as a physical barrier, which is not broken down during upper gut digestion.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Studies investigating carotene bioaccessibility (release from the food matrix to a solubilized form) directly from plant material during the process of digestion are scarce, mainly due to the difficulties associated with obtaining such material. Therefore, this paper examines the relationship between tissue microstructure and carotene bioaccessibility using an in vitro digestion model. Dietary oil provides a pool for the initial solubilization. Therefore, carotene partitioning into an emulsified oil phase was assessed using raw carrot tissue and carrot tissue subjected to various degrees of heating and particle size reduction and, in all cases, was found to be greatly reduced compared with juiced carrot. Carotene bioaccessibility was found to be greater from raw tissues than heated tissues of the same size. This is because heating increases the propensity for intact cells to separate, effectively encapsulating the carotene. Although the gross structure of the tissues was found to be relatively unaffected by in vitro digestion, at the cellular level some cell-wall swelling and cell death were observed, particularly close to the surfaces of the tissue. This study suggests that cell-wall rupture prior to digestion is an absolute requirement for carotene bioaccessibility in the upper intestine and that heating does not enhance carotene release from intact cells.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

It is increasingly recognized that changes in the composition of the oil-water interface can markedly affect pancreatic lipase adsorption and function. To understand interfacial mechanisms determining lipase activity, we investigated the adsorption behavior of bile salts and pancreatic colipase and lipase onto digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) monolayers at the air-water interface. The results from Langmuir trough and pendant drop experiments showed that a DGDG interface was more resistant to the adsorption of bile salts, colipase, and lipase compared to that of DPPC. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images showed that the adsorption of bile salts into a DPPC monolayer decreased the size of the liquid condensed (LC) domains while there was no visible topographical change for DGDG systems. The results also showed that colipase and lipase adsorbed exclusively onto the mixed DPPC-bile salt regions and not the DPPC condensed phase. When the colipase and lipase were in excess, they fully covered the mixed DPPC-bile salt regions. However, the colipase and lipase coverage on the mixed DGDG-bile salt monolayer was incomplete and discontinuous. It was postulated that bile salts adsorbed into the DPPC monolayers filling the gaps between the lipid headgroups and spacing out the lipid molecules, making the lipid hydrocarbon tails more exposed to the surface. This created hydrophobic patches suitable for the binding of colipase and lipase. In contrast, bile salts adsorbed less easily into the DGDG monolayer because DGDG has a larger headgroup, which has strong intermolecular interactions and the ability to adopt different orientations at the interface. Thus, there are fewer hydrophobic patches that are of sufficient size to accommodate the colipase on the mixed DGDG-bile salt monolayer compared to the mixed DPPC-bile salt regions. The results from this work have reinforced the hypothesis that the interfacial molecular packing of lipids at the oil-water interface influences the adsorption of bile salts, colipase, and lipase, which in turn impacts the rate of lipolysis.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

In this study we investigated the potential prebiotic effect of natural (NS) and blanched (BS) almond skins, the latter being a byproduct of the almond-processing industry. A full model of the gastrointestinal tract, including in vitro gastric and duodenal digestion, followed by colonic fermentation using mixed faecal bacterial cultures, was used. Both NS and BS significantly increased the population of bifidobacteria and Clostridium coccoides/Eubacterium rectale group, resulting in a prebiotic index (3.2 for BS and 3.3 for NS) that compared well with the commercial prebiotic fructo-oligosaccharides (4.2) at a 24-h incubation. No significant differences in the proportion of gut bacteria groups and in short-chain fatty acid production were detected between NS and BS, showing that polyphenols present in almond skins did not affect bacterial fermentation. In conclusion, we have shown that dietary fibre from almond skins altered the composition of gut bacteria and almond skins resulting from industrial blanching could be used as potential prebiotics.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

IgE-mediated allergy to milk and egg is widespread in industrialised countries and mainly affects infants and young children. It may be connected to an incomplete digestion of dietary proteins causing an inappropriate immune response in the gut. In order to study this, a biochemical model of infant gastroduodenal digestion has been developed, which has reduced levels of protease (eightfold for pepsin and tenfold for trypsin and chymotrypsin), phosphatidylcholine and bile salts, compared with the adult model. This model has been used to study the behaviour of three characterised food-relevant proteins (bovine beta-lactoglobulin (beta-Lg), beta-casein (beta-CN) and hen's egg ovalbumin), all of which are relevant cows' milk and hens' egg allergens. Digestion products were characterised using electrophoresis, immunochemical techniques and MS. These showed that ovalbumin and beta-CN were digested more slowly using the infant model compared with the adult conditions. Resistant fragments of beta-CN were found in the infant model, which correspond to previously identified IgE epitopes. Surprisingly, beta-Lg was more extensively degraded in the infant model compared with the adult one. This difference was attributed to the tenfold reduction in phosphatidylcholine concentration in the infant model limiting the protective effect of this phospholipid on beta-Lg digestion.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

This article reviews the in vitro digestion models developed to assess the stability of food allergens during digestion. It is hypothesised that food allergens must exhibit sufficient gastro-intestinal stability to reach the intestinal mucosa where absorption and sensitisation (development of atopy) can occur. The investigation of stability of proteins within the gastrointestinal tract may provide prospective testing for allergenicity and could be a significant and valid parameter that distinguishes food allergens from nonallergens. Systematic evaluation of the stability of food allergens that are active via the gastrointestinal tract is currently tested in traditional pepsin digestibility models. The human gastrointestinal tract however is very complex and this article points out the importance of using physiologically relevant in vitro digestion systems for evaluating digestibility of allergens. This would involve the simulation of the stomach/small intestine environment (multi-phase models) with sequential addition of digestive enzymes, surfactants such as phospholipids and bile salts under physiological conditions, as well as the consideration of the effect of the food matrices on the allergen digestion.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

It is widely known that the interfacial quality of lipid emulsion droplets influences the rate and extent of lipolysis. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of two galactolipids, monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) and digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), adsorbed at the interface on in vitro digestibility of olive oil by porcine pancreatic lipase. The experiments were performed under simulated duodenal conditions in the presence of phosphatidylcholine (lecithin) and bile salts. It was found that emulsions prepared with DGDG had a longer lag phase prior to lipase activation with a decrease in lipolysis rate. In contrast, no inhibitory effect on lipase kinetics was observed in emulsions prepared with MGDG. We postulated that the larger headgroup and more tightly packed molecular organization of DGDG at the interface gave rise to steric hindrance that retarded colipase and lipase adsorption onto the substrate surfaces and hence delayed and reduced lipolysis. It was noted that the lag phase and lipolysis rate strongly depended on the DGDG/lecithin molar ratio in the systems: the higher the molar ratio, the longer the lag phase followed by a reduced lipolysis rate. The ability of DGDG to inhibit bile salt adsorption/displacement was also investigated. The results showed that bile salts did not completely displace DGDG from the interface, explaining the reason why DGDG still possessed inhibitory activity even in the presence of bile salts at a physiological relevant concentration. The results provide interesting insights into the influence of the galactolipid headgroup and lecithin on the emulsion interfacial quality which in turn regulates the lipolysis. The findings potentially could lead to the production of generic foods and drugs designed for regulating dietary fat absorption in the prevention and treatment of obesity and related disorders.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Fat is often included in common foods as an emulsion of dispersed oil droplets to enhance the organoleptic quality and stability. The intragastric acid stability of emulsified fat may impact on gastric emptying, satiety and plasma lipid absorption. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether, compared with an acid-unstable emulsion, an acid-stable fat emulsion would empty from the stomach more slowly, cause more rapid plasma lipid absorption and cause greater satiety. Eleven healthy male volunteers received on two separate occasions 500 ml of 15 % (w/w) [13C]palmitate-enriched olive oil-in-water emulsion meals which were either stable or unstable in the acid gastric environment. MRI was used to measure gastric emptying and the intragastric oil fraction of the meals. Blood sampling was used to measure plasma lipids and visual analogue scales were used to assess satiety. The acid-unstable fat emulsion broke and rapidly layered in the stomach. Gastric emptying of meal volume was slower for the acid-stable fat emulsion (P < 0.0001; two-way ANOVA). The rate of energy delivery of fat from the stomach to the duodenum was not different up to t = 110 min. The acid-stable emulsion induced increased fullness (P < 0.05), decreased hunger (P < 0.0002), decreased appetite (P < 0.0001) and increased the concentration of palmitic acid tracer in the chylomicron fraction (P < 0.04). This shows that it is possible to delay gastric emptying and increase satiety by stabilising the intragastric distribution of fat emulsions against the gastric acid environment. This could have implications for the design of novel foods.

Asunto(s)