The latest development in electronic oral capsule technology is set to provide greater understanding of the role of the intestine in digestion and immunity, and provide proof for functional food claims.
Health and functional claims made for foods such as probiotics still need to prove their effectiveness, and an important part of the answer rests in our small intestines and the role of the bowel in digestion and immunity. Now, NIZO food research and biotechnology pioneer Medimetrics is bringing this a step nearer, using the latest micro-electronics. The two organisations have joined forces to create a means of sampling and mapping content from the small intestine to identify its microbiological composition, in a non-invasive way. The mapping process will provide new insights into how certain foods and ingredients might react in the intestine and so affect our health.
The small intestine is critical to health. It is where the absorption of 95% of nutrients takes place and generates signals to control our metabolism. It also contains most of our immune cells. Mounting scientific evidence shows that an imbalance in the intestinal ‘microbiota’ is linked to diseases such as obesity and diabetes.
Intelligent capsule
Using the IntelliCap system, an intelligent capsule developed by Medimetrics, it will be possible to take samples in vivo, at targeted locations, in a non-invasive way and, importantly, away from a clinical setting. IntelliCap is already being used successfully by the pharmaceutical industry for the targeted and controlled delivery of drugs in the human gastrointestinal tract.
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