Food digestion and Gut Microbiome
Research on the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) and its gut microbiome is a rapidly evolving field that holds great promise to unlock relationships between nutrition, digestion and human health.
Wageningen Food and Biobased Research evaluates the digestibility, gut microbiome and health impact of foods throughout the GI tract with sophisticated in vitro models, professional human clinical trial expertise, and predictive in silico models.
The digestive system: gateway to overall health
Foods, food ingredients, and dietary patterns that positively impact human health are increasingly associated with their digestibility and their influence on the gut microbiome.
To fully understand how product composition and processing affect digestibility, bioavailability, microbiome composition, metabolic activity, and gut health, rigorous scientific evaluation is essential. This requires reliable in vitro studies and/or human clinical data to ensure accurate insights and effective outcomes.
Understanding the role of digestion and gut microbiome modulation in the relationship between food and health is crucial for optimizing ingredients, products, and diets. This knowledge informs public guidelines aimed at enhancing health and nutrition outcomes.
A comprehensive set of research services
Wageningen Food & Biobased Research can help to assess the digestibility of foods (with varying matrices, composition and degree of processing), the bioavailability of nutrients, gut fermentation, and the impact on composition and functional features of the gut microbiome.
Our excellent in-house facilities to study the intestinal environments of each life stage or in suboptimal health conditions include:
- Intestinal cell-based models: to investigate the functional effects of nutrients and bioactive compounds on intestinal barrier, uptake, metabolism and metabolic signaling
- Static and dynamic digestion models: to mimic the biochemical processes and address complex aspects of digestion in the GI tract;
- Complete gut microbiome research pipeline: to study the impact of a dietary compounds on the human gut microbiome and metabolite production usingsingle/multi strain screening, ex vivo fecal batch fermentations, continuous fecal fermentation with SHIME, in silico analysis and in vivo interventions.
- Human clinical trials to study digestibility and microbiome effects of food: high quality, professional design, execution, analysis and result interpretation of clinical trials.
Fit for purpose study design
Wageningen Food and Biobased Research applies fit for purpose study designs tailored to the research question and specific product or ingredient properties.
Example projects
- INFOGEST inter-laboratory recommendations for assaying gastric and pancreatic lipases activities prior to in vitro digestion studies
- Comparing nutritional and digestibility aspects of sustainable proteins using the infogest digestion protocol
- How to analyze protein digestibility and quality of our future protein crops and products
- GEEF om je buik
- The impact of a wide variety of dietary lipids on microbiota composition and functionality
- Changes in gut microbiota and lactose intolerance symptoms before and after daily lactose supplementation in individuals with the lactase nonpersistent genotype
Partner with us!
We look forward to connecting with you and learning how we can help with your specific research needs. Ready to discuss your project? Please contact us.