Development of a Soft Physicochemical Stomach (Sps) Model for Simulation of the Human Gastric Digestion and Examining of the Ph Profile

  • Michelle Ji Yeon Yoo, Monash University, Australia
  • Prof Dong Chen, Monash University, Australia
  • The ongoing demand of health promotion, indulgence and convenience of food consumption has led to a massive production of processed food products. A soft physicochemical stomach (SPS) model which mimics the physiological conditions of the human stomach has been built to examine the behavior and the usefulness of such food products. The experiments were conducted at 37±1°C inside a closed anaerobic incubator with key features including realistic geometry and anatomy, physiological transit time, appropriate compositions and rates of the secretions, hormonal feed-back control, presence of mucosal lining, appropriate ingestion method, buffering capacity of the food and practical simulation of peristaltic motility. Samples collected from the SPS model were analyzed by pH meter, HPLC, UV-spectrophotometer, and microscope to study the underlying mechanisms. The pH meter showed promising results where during the intake of the meal, the pH increased to a median value of above 5 with an inter-quartile range of pH 4.3 to 5.4, and a peak pH of 6.8. However 2-4hrs after the meal intake, in which gastric emptying is completed, the pH re-establish itself to the fasting state with a median value of 1.7. These results correspond well with the pH ranges that were collected from healthy volunteers in the literature. The SPS model can be used as a powerful screening tool prior to marketing in the food development area. It is economic, efficient in time and labor, produces reproducible data and does not violate ethical constraints.