A first step towards a consensus static in vitro model for simulating full-term infant digestion

In vitro alternatives to clinical trials are used for studying human food digestion. For simulating infant digestion,only a few models, lacking physiological relevance, are available. Thanks to an extensive literature review of thein vivo infant digestive conditions, a gastrointestinal static in vitro model was developed for infants born at termand aged 28 days. The model was applied to the digestion of a commercial infant formula. Kinetics of digestion,as well as the structural evolution, were compared with those obtained while submitting the same formula to theadult international consensus protocol of in vitro static digestion. The kinetics of proteolysis and lipolysis differedaccording to the physiological stage resulting mainly from the reduced level of enzymes and bile salts, as well asthe higher gastric pH in the infant model. This in vitro static model of infant digestion is of interest for scientists,food or pharmaceutical manufacturers