Development of a standardised human in vitro digestion protocol based on macronutrient digestion using response surface methodology.

Bioaccessibility studies should be taken into account when evaluating the physiological effects of ingested compounds at the intestine level. Several in vitro digestion protocols have been described, with a wide range of experimental conditions but no optimised protocol exists. In order to fill in this gap, we evaluated the influence of three continuous factors (pH, incubation time, and enzyme concentrations), in the range of values found in literature, on the digestion of standard macronutrients (starch, albumin, triolein) alone or in mixture.

Anti-inflammatory effects of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) husk ellagitannins in Caco-2 cells, an in vitro model of human intestine.

This study aimed at evaluating the anti-inflammatory properties of a pomegranate fruit husk (PomH) polyphenolic extract, rich in punicalagin, using Caco-2 cells, an in vitro model of human intestinal epithelium. Differentiated cells in bicameral inserts were pretreated or not with a PomH extract or punicalagin, as reference, at the apical side, representing the intestinal lumen. Inflammation was then induced with a cocktail of cytokines (Il-1β, TNFα and IFNγ) and LPS.

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) attenuates the inflammatory response in the in vitro intestinal Caco-2 cell model.

This study aimed to investigate dose effects of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) (0.05-1%) on the intestinal inflammatory response in confluent- and differentiated-Caco-2 cells stimulated with interleukin (IL)-1β or a pro-inflammatory cocktail for 24 h. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activity was assayed by incubating inflamed cells with arachidonic acid and then measuring prostaglandin-E(2) (PGE(2)) produced.