Implications of static in vitro digestion of starch in the presence of dietary fiber

Interest in understanding the digestion behavior of starch in the presence of dietary fibers is growing due to the ability of dietary component to control the release and absorption of glucose. This presents an outstanding opportunity to improve the quality of food products by incorporating dietary fiber into starchy food products. The physicochemical properties of different fibers and their behavior in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) differ. To test the efficacy of these different fibers on starch digestion, static in vitro digestion models under conditions that mimic the human GIT are frequently used. Indeed, many efforts have been committed to the development of various static in vitro protocols for starch digestion. Though not considered as the gold standard in digestibility studies in food science and technology, static simulated models provide a useful alternative to in vivo techniques for rapid screening of the digestibility of food products under conditions that simulate the human GIT. This review presents the current status and development of digestion techniques for simulating digestion conditions in the human GIT, with particular interest on starch digestion in the presence of dietary fiber in the three phases of digestions including the oral, gastric and the intestinal steps. This summary can benefit investigators in developing static in vitro digestion models designed to simulate starch digestion with relevant values of the quantifiable parameters, including pH, enzymes and simulated digestive fluids