Analysis of in vitro digestion using human gut microbiota in adult and elderly individuals

In vitro human digestion models are widely used to determine the digestibility of bioactive substances and to perform drug delivery analyses. To develop the most accurate in vitro human digestion model reported to date, we simulated all digestion conditions, including pH and digestion time, with changes in the amount of digestive enzymes, motility, and proportion of human gut microbiota in adult and elderly individuals. Using this newly developed model, the digestibility of vitamin E emulsified by lard was found to be significantly different between adults and the elderly. Therefore, this model can accurately simulate oral, gastric, and intestinal (with gut microbiota effects) digestion of bioactive substances and can aid in analyzing drug delivery in adults and elderly individuals.