In Vitro Digestion Assays Using Dynamic Models for Essential Minerals in Brazilian Goat Cheeses

Goat cheeses have important nutritional properties, with an emphasis on proteins, lipids (high digestibility), and essential minerals. This study analyzes the bioavailability of Ca, Mg, and Zn in Brazilian cheeses using an in vitro dynamic digestion method. Two self-produced fresh cheeses, cow and goat Minas frescal cheese, and two commercial matured goat cheeses, Blue and Pyramid, were analyzed. Brazilian goat cheeses are potential sources of essential minerals (Ca, Mg, and Zn). Variations of 103–598 mg/100 g for Ca, 13.62–41.64 mg/100 g for Mg, and 9.79–13.23 mg/100 g for Zn were observed in the studied samples. The pH concentration, enzyme performance, and protein and lipid content of Brazilian cheeses affected the solubility of essential minerals in the intestinal fraction. The percentages of minerals found in the permeate stream, equivalent to absorption of Ca and Zn, were lower in Minas frescal goat cheese than Minas frescal cow cheese, whereas that of Mg was higher. Pyramid and Minas frescal goat cheeses had the higher values of Mg and Zn bioavailability, respectively. This study supports, for the first time, the usefulness of the dynamic simulation of the human gastrointestinal tract for the study of mineral bioavailability in cheeses.

The authors would like to thank the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) for the scholarship grant of PhD student José Teixeira, and for the research internship abroad (regular scholarship n° 2018/08864–8 and BEPE—n° 2019/13600–2). Juliana Azevedo Lima Pallone would like to thank the fnancial support of Brazil (FAPESP 2018/09759–3). The Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) (Financial Code 001).