In Vitro Evaluation of Intestinal Barrier Function after Exposure to Digested Pea Ingredients─Food Matrix Effect

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutritional Science
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Dietary fibers (DF) are crucial in diets but can reduce protein absorption.
• Understanding how DF processing affects intestinal barrier function is vital for nutritional value.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of pea dietary fiber form on intestinal barrier integrity and molecular absorption.
• To determine if intact or ruptured pea cell walls influence intestinal barrier function.

Main Methods:

• In vitro digestion of pea flours (intact/ruptured cell walls) and controls.
• Application of digesta to porcine jejunum cell lines (IPEC-J2).
• Assessment of cell viability, integrity (TEER, MTS, ZO-1), and paracellular permeability (FD4, LY diffusion).

Main Results:

• Digested pea samples did not compromise IPEC-J2 cell viability or integrity.
• No significant differences in FD4 or LY diffusion were observed across treatments.
• ZO-1 tight junction protein labeling intensity remained unchanged.

Conclusions:

• Intestinal integrity is maintained regardless of pea cell wall structure (intact or ruptured).
• Pea dietary fiber, in the forms studied, does not negatively impact intestinal barrier function.
• This suggests pea DF processing methods may not inherently hinder nutrient absorption due to barrier disruption.