Search

Digestive enzymes secreted by the body are vital for digestion and nutrient absorption. Enzyme supplements are commonly used to support them in achieving optimal digestion. Herein, the efficacy of digestive enzyme supplement (DigeSEB Super) in digestion of complex food was assessed using INFOGEST simulated static and modified semi-dynamic in vitro digestion models. Digestive enzyme supplement was found to assist the endogenous digestive enzymes to disintegrate the food matrix. Hence, it reduced the viscosity of the gastric digesta by 2.75 fold ( p  = 0.04) compared to the control digestion (only endogenous digestive enzymes) during the first hour of digestion. Similarly, enzyme supplement showed statistically higher release of reducing sugars in the gastric digestion ( p  ≤ 0.05) indicating improved digestion of carbohydrates. Further, digestion of proteins and fats was also improved in the presence of enzyme supplement. The kinetic aspects of the semi-dynamic model (transient nature of gastric secretions and gradual acidification) was found to alter the macronutrient digestion compared to the static digestion. Thus, semi-dynamic model should be preferred for the in vitro studies. Overall, current study demonstrated the potential of a digestive enzyme supplement to improve digestion by aiding digestive action of the endogenous enzymes., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Swati Jadhav reports a relationship with Advanced Enzyme Technologies Limited that includes: employment. Abhijit Rathi reports a relationship with Advanced Enzyme Technologies Limited that includes: employment. Sneha Potale reports a relationship with Advanced Enzyme Technologies Limited that includes: employment. Rutuja Vaze reports a relationship with Advanced Enzyme Technologies Limited that includes: employment. Abhijeet Muley reports a relationship with Advanced Enzyme Technologies Limited that includes: employment. All the named authors are paid employees of Advanced Enzyme Technologies which has a corporate affiliation with Specialty Enzymes and Probiotics, USA. Specialty Enzymes and Probiotics had provided study material (DigeSEB Super) but had no role in study design and actual conduct of the study., (© 2024 The Authors.)