Assessing iron, zinc and calcium bioaccessibility using the INFOGEST method: Challenges and opportunities

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Biochemistry
• Food Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Iron, zinc, and calcium are vital minerals with widespread global deficiencies.
• Poor mineral bioavailability from plant-based foods is a major concern.
• Dietary shifts necessitate reliable methods for assessing mineral bioavailability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review the INFOGEST static in vitro digestion method for Fe, Zn, and Ca bioaccessibility.
• To identify limitations and recent advances in applying INFOGEST to mineral assessment.
• To highlight the need for standardized protocols and validation for in vitro mineral bioavailability studies.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on the INFOGEST method and mineral bioaccessibility.
• Analysis of challenges including reagent interference, matrix effects, and definition of bioaccessibility.
• Examination of potential solutions and future research directions.

Main Results:

• The INFOGEST method, while harmonized, presents significant challenges for mineral bioaccessibility assessment.
• Key issues include background mineral interference, matrix-dependent interactions, and lack of standardized bioaccessibility definitions.
• Current limitations hinder the generation of physiologically meaningful and comparable mineral bioavailability data.

Conclusions:

• Further optimization of INFOGEST digestion conditions, bioaccessibility definitions, and separation techniques is required.
• Validation against in vivo data is essential for ensuring the reliability of in vitro mineral bioaccessibility models.
• Addressing these challenges is critical for informing nutrition research, policy, and product development.