Effects of Ingredient Incorporation into Sausage Meat on the Micellarisation and uptake of α-tocopherol by Caco-2 Human Intestinal Cells

Ingredients are incorporated into meat and meat products to produce a ``healthier'' product. However, the effect of ingredient addition on availability of nutrients endogenous to foods is generally not considered. This study investigated the availability and cellular uptake of α-tocopherol from supplemented sausages with the aid of an in vitro digestion procedure coupled with a Caco-2 cell model. Sausages were formulated with the addition of 3% or 10% ingredients (wheat bran, oat bran, soya protein, whey protein, olive oil, linseed oil, sunflower oil, and wheatgerm oil) and subjected to a two-phase in vitro system that simulates the digestive process in humans. Micelles were isolated from the digestate by ultracentrifugation. Of the ingredients selected for addition to sausage meat, only sunflower oil, and wheatgerm oil enhanced the micellarization of α-tocopherol, resulting in increased transfer from the test food to micelles. When ingredients were added at the 3% supplementation level, olive oil enhanced cellular uptake of α-tocopherol. Cellular uptake was not enhanced further with higher oil supplementation (3% vs. 10%). These results indicated that addition of ingredients to sausages (fibres, protein derivatives or vegetable oils) did not have a detrimental effect on α-tocopherol uptake and olive oil at the 3% supplementation level enhanced α-tocopherol availability.