Carbohydrates & Proteins

The digestion or the degree of digestibility of carbohydrates, proteins, whole foods and other food components is something that can be studied using the upper GI tract simulation.

The flexibility to sample at various timepoints from the Upper GI tract simulator and the inclusion of a dialysis membrane allows to study the kinetics of digestion and quantify the bioaccessible and absorbed fractions of specific catabolites. A whole range of analytical methods (including HPLC, anion exchange chromatography, mass spectrometry) have been optimized to quantify various digestion products like monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, amino acids… Such approach allows you to investigate the property of your new carbohydrate, protein or other food ingredients and illustrate their advantage over competitor products.

The upper GI tract simulation can be extended with a colonic simulation to study the impact of the undigested remnants on the microbial community composition microbial and metabolic activity in the large intestine.