Physiologically Based Modeling of Food Digestion and Intestinal Microbiota: State of the Art and Future Challenges. An INFOGEST Review

• Published in: Annual review of food science and technology 2021-03, Vol.12 (1), p.149-167
• Main Authors: Le Feunteun, Steven, Al-Razaz, Ahmed, Dekker, Matthijs, George, Erwin, Laroche, Beatrice, van Aken, George
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: absorption; digestion; gastrointestinal tract; in silico; microbiota; transit
• ISSN: 1941-1413; 1941-1421
• DOI: 10.1146/annurev-food-070620-124140

This review focuses on modeling methodologies of the gastrointestinal tract during digestion that have adopted a systems-view approach and, more particularly, on physiologically based compartmental models of food digestion and host-diet-microbiota interactions. This type of modeling appears very promising for integrating the complex stream of mechanisms that must be considered and retrieving a full picture of the digestion process from mouth to colon. We may expect these approaches to become more and more accurate in the future and to serve as a useful means of understanding the physicochemical processes occurring in the gastrointestinaltract, interpreting postprandial in vivo data, making relevant predictions, and designing healthier foods. This review intends to provide a scientific and historical background of this field of research, before discussing the future challenges and potential benefits of the establishment of such a model to study and predict food digestion and absorption in humans.