Intestinal cell models for investigating the uptake, metabolism and absorption of dietary nutrients and bioactive compounds

The Caco-2 human intestinal cell line has been widely adopted to mimic the in vivo small intestinal epithelium for screening the characteristics and mechanisms of the uptake, metabolism and absorption of dietary compounds and drugs. Marked advances in stem cell biology and tissue engineering have led to the development of novel organoid and microfluidic models that better replicate key aspects of the physiology of the human gut and are expected to generate more biologically relevant information with improved predictive reliability. Parallel developments in analytical chemistry provide investigators with the necessary sensitivity to monitor the transport, metabolism and efficacy of dietary compounds in such intestinal cell models. These in vitro cell systems are facilitating the investigation of questions that address the health promoting benefits of diverse compounds in foods and meals towards novel discoveries.

Automated summary

The Caco-2 human intestinal cell line is widely used for screening the characteristics and mechanisms of dietary compounds and drug uptake, metabolism, and absorption. Advances in stem cell biology and tissue engineering have led to the development of novel organoid and microfluidic models that better replicate key aspects of human gut physiology, providing more biologically relevant information. Analytical chemistry advancements have also provided the necessary sensitivity to monitor the transport, metabolism, and efficacy of dietary compounds in such intestinal cell models.