Factors and Mechanisms Underlying Individual Differences in Intestinal Susceptibility to Dietary Emulsifiers: A Review
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
| Author, Year & Reference Number | Sample/Population | Study Design | Variability Measurement | Main Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kordahi et al., 2025. [23] | Wild-type male mice N = 60 | Animal study | 16S rRNA gene amplification and sequencing | CMC and P80 show variable effects on WT mice |
| Holder et al., 2019. [28] | Mice N = 6 (3 male and 3 female) | Animal study | 16S rRNA sequencing | There are sex-specific differences in gut microbiota composition following emulsifier exposure |
| Rousta et al. (2021) [24] | Mice N = 24 mice | Fecal transplants | Shotgun metagenomic analysis (whole genome sequencing) | There is a variability in results of the effects of CMC and P80 |
| Miclotte et al. (2020) [25] | Fecal samples of human donors (N = 10) | In vitro | 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing | Some donors had consistently high susceptibility, some had some susceptibility, some low susceptibility |
| Rytter et al. (2025) [29] | Fecal samples from the 16 FRESH subjects (N = 9 from the control group and N = 7 from the CMC-exposed groups) | In vitro | MiniBioReactor Arrays | Microbiota functional markers rather than taxonomy alone are associated with emulsifier sensitivity |
| Wellens et al. (2025) [26] | Humans N = 60 | Randomized placebo-controlled trial design | Within-group variation and fecal short-chain fatty acid concentration | There is within-group variation and interindividual variability in fecal short-chain fatty acid concentration over time |
| Chassaing et al. (2022) [27] | Humans N = 16 | Randomized, controlled-feeding study | Intersubject variability in the response to CMC consumption | There is a clear difference in distance of bacteria from IEC, in fecal LPS and in Bray–Curtis distance between high-sensitive and low-sensitive individuals. There is no significant difference between changes in the fecal level of the inflammatory marker Lipocalin-2 |
| Daniel et al. (2024) [30] | Humans N = 16 IL-10-deficient mice | Randomized, controlled-feeding study | Intersubject variability in the response to CMC consumption | Genetics are not sufficient to account for inter-individual susceptibility to CMC in humans. Mice with microbiota from sensitive donors developed intestinal inflammation. Mice with microbiota from insensitive donors were largely unaffected |
3.1. Mouse Studies to Predict Human Responses
3.2. Human (Experimental and RCT) and Humanized Mice Experiments
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
| CMC | Carboxymethylcellulose |
| IBD | Inflammatory bowel disease |
| IEC | Intestinal Epithelial Cells |
| LBP | Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein |
| LPS | Lipopolysaccharide |
| MDGs | Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids |
| P80 | Polysorbate 80 |
| PICO | patient, intervention, comparison, outcome |
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| Inclusion Criteria | Exclusion Criteria |
|---|---|
| Experimental articles | Review papers (they were used to scan for more relevant papers) |
| Outcomes have to do with dietary emulsifiers | Does not discuss dietary emulsifiers |
| Mention of individualized susceptibility/factors related to susceptibility/heterogeneity of outcomes/mechanisms that are related to susceptibility | No mention of individualized susceptibility/factors related to susceptibility/heterogeneity of outcomes/mechanisms that are related to susceptibility |
| Article is available in full text | Article is not available in full text |
| Text is written in English | Text is written in another language |
| Articles show possible heterogeneity in data | Articles do not show possible heterogeneity in data |
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Riebeek, G.; te Velde, A.A. Factors and Mechanisms Underlying Individual Differences in Intestinal Susceptibility to Dietary Emulsifiers: A Review. Dietetics 2026, 5, 35. https://doi.org/10.3390/dietetics5020035
Riebeek G, te Velde AA. Factors and Mechanisms Underlying Individual Differences in Intestinal Susceptibility to Dietary Emulsifiers: A Review. Dietetics. 2026; 5(2):35. https://doi.org/10.3390/dietetics5020035
Chicago/Turabian StyleRiebeek, Gabriela, and Anje A. te Velde. 2026. "Factors and Mechanisms Underlying Individual Differences in Intestinal Susceptibility to Dietary Emulsifiers: A Review" Dietetics 5, no. 2: 35. https://doi.org/10.3390/dietetics5020035
APA StyleRiebeek, G., & te Velde, A. A. (2026). Factors and Mechanisms Underlying Individual Differences in Intestinal Susceptibility to Dietary Emulsifiers: A Review. Dietetics, 5(2), 35. https://doi.org/10.3390/dietetics5020035
