Fat-binding properties of dietary fibre in vivo and in vitro

Use of the computer-aided in-vitro model TIM to simulate processes in the digestive tract

Susann Bellmann, Zeist

There are different ways of detecting the effectiveness of functional food supposed to provide additional health benefits. Besides animal experiments and human intervention studies it is possible to simulate processes in the digestive tract by using a novel dynamic in-vitro model (TIM).

In some points in-vitro models are superior to in-vivo methods as they are precise, highly reproducible and do not conflict with ethical claims. TIM was used to investigate the fat- and cholesterol-binding capacities of soluble and insoluble dietary fibres. Dietary fibres are supposed to bind fat from the intestine and thus reduce fat absorption. In the present study, this was confirmed in both in-vitro (including TIM) and in-vivo systems for soluble dietary fibres, but not for insoluble ones. TIM, accordingly, seems to be useful in studies of functional foods and of their bioavailability in the intestinal tract.

Keywords: dietary fibre, digestive tract, functional food, modelling physiological processes, simulation of the digestive tract.

Sie finden den Artikel in deutscher Sprache in Ernährungs Umschau 08/07 ab Seite 450.