Innovative Research on Food Bioactive Compounds Using In Vitro Digestion Models

Dear Colleagues,

In vitro digestion models are quick, simple, and versatile tools that allow for studying the gastrointestinal behaviour of bioactive compounds under pseudo-physiological conditions. They are based on laboratory-scale simulation of mechanical (peristalsis, disruption, mastication, absorption, etc.) and chemical treatments (enzymatic hydrolysis, transformation by pH, etc.), as well as the interactions with the microbiota that take place throughout the different stages of the digestion process (oral, gastric, intestinal, or colonic). The usefulness of the information that in vitro digestion models can provide is huge. Thus, in addition to allowing for establishing the important parameters of bioaccessibility and bioavailability, they can be used for the evaluation of the biological activities that take place at the level of the gastrointestinal tract, such as the inhibitory capacity of digestive enzymes, reduction of cholesterol absorption, or prebiotic effects. Furthermore, through the use of in vitro digestion models, it is possible to establish the impact that exposure to gastrointestinal conditions and microbial metabolism have on the modulation, either positive or negatively, of the subsequent bioactivity of the compounds, as well as to elucidate interactions that may take place between bioactive compounds and other co-existing compounds within the gastrointestinal tract. Finally, in vitro digestion models also allow for validating the effectiveness of innovative strategies to improve the bioaccessibility and bioavailability parameters, such as the development of specific formulations or delivery systems. This Special Issue is open to original research results and review articles focused on applications of in vitro digestion models, either static and dynamic models, with the final aim of showing the usefulness of this tool to contributing towards the understanding of the gastrointestinal behaviour of food bioactive compounds and to achieve broader knowledge of their potential.  

Dr. Diana Martín 
Dr. Carolina Cueva
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.