人工肠道模拟系统在微凝胶体外模拟消化中的应用

An artificial gastrointestinal system that can be used to simulate in vitro digestion was established. The sealability and sterility of the system during use was evaluated, and simulated digestion processes using digestive substances from gellan gum microgel or gellangum@chitosan microgel were investigated. The system exhibited efficient sealing and antibacterial properties, rendering it suitable for use as an in vitro digestion simulation system. Recording observations before and after digestion, including optical microscope images of microgels, Zeta potential, particle size distribution, and average particle size, revealed that the gellan gum microgel was partially hydrolyzed during digestion in the stomach, whereas the gellangum@chitosan microgel was not easily hydrolyzed in the stomach. Both types of microgel structures underwent fragmentation after intestinal digestion, with the gellan gum microgel undergoing more extensive fragmentation. Compared with rotary shaker exposure, digestion in the artificial intestinal simulation system decreased the volume-average particle size of gellan gum and gellangum@chitosan microgel by 6.21% and 4.51%, respectively, suggesting a more extensive digestion of these microgels by the artificial intestinal simulation system. In conclusion, this intestinal simulation system has the potential to serve as a model platform for in vitro digestion simulation, thereby contributing substantially to research on gastrointestinal function and food digestion behavior.