{"id":181270,"date":"2025-07-18T10:30:24","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T08:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ainia.com\/?p=181270"},"modified":"2026-04-10T11:22:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T10:22:04","slug":"how-to-prove-that-an-ingredient-improves-animals-digestive-system-scientific-evidence-through-in-vitro-gastrointestinal-tract-simulation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ainia.com\/en\/ainia-news\/how-to-prove-that-an-ingredient-improves-animals-digestive-system-scientific-evidence-through-in-vitro-gastrointestinal-tract-simulation\/","title":{"rendered":"How to prove that an ingredient improves animals\u2019 digestive system? Scientific evidence through in vitro gastrointestinal tract simulation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Animal digestive health<\/strong> and animal nutrition are essential to ensure health and productivity in any production system, as they help prevent disease and improve product quality. For this reason, it is crucial to scientifically validate the effect of an ingredient on animals\u2019 digestive system. It\u2019s not enough to include novel ingredients,\u00a0 it\u2019s necessary to understand how they behave within the animal\u2019s digestive tract and prove their real functionality.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

How does the animals digestive system work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Although the digestive process varies across species \u2014 for example, between herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores, or between monogastric animals and ruminants \u2014 it generally follows a common functional sequence: ingestion, mechanical and enzymatic digestion, fermentation, absorption, and elimination.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The duration depends on the type of feed and the digestive system of each species, and may range from a few hours to more than a day. The process is divided into several phases: oral, gastric (or pregastric in ruminants), intestinal, and colonic.<\/strong><\/p>\n