Development of in vitro cell culture models to be used for intelligent combination of in vitro digestion, transport and bioactivity models,
with the objective to evaluate in vitro in a more realistic way the potential of bioactives in human nutrition.
Use of more realistic conditions under which bioactives act, with focus on
endogenous metabolites applied under realistic concentrations and duration times and in combination with repeated exposures.
Use of cell (co-) cultures (intestinal, endothelial, liver) in human nutrition.
Characterisation of metabolites during digestion, absorption and metabolism (HPLC and UPLC-DAD, UPLC-HDMS-QTOF).
Combining digestion, transport (absorption) with bioactivity studies on
cardiovascular effects, anti-obesity effects, cell respiration and toxicity, immune activity, cancer.
Applied to the following bioactives: peptides and proteins, plant metabolites (polyphenols),
vitamins, trace-elements, new sugars, new chemicals and drugs.
Areas of expertise
Development of a combined bioavailability and bioactivity in vitro screening assay to study the effect of dietary polyphenols and dietary peptides on cardiovascular markers (EU-BACCHUS)
Improving Ecuadorian child nutrition by using mango by-products as potential sources of bioactive compounds (VLIR-TEAM)
Impact of cellular stress on flavonoid bioavailability and bioactivity assessed by an improved in vitro model of endothelial dysfunction (FWO-SB)
Influence of (processed) red meat on colon cancer: a new in vitro approach (FWO)
Cost-efficient synthesis of health-promoting glycobioses (GlycoProFit) (FWO-SBO S003617N)
Knowledge platform: tailoring food protein functionality by rational design of fibrillar structures (PROFIBFUN) (FWO-SBO S005217N)
Cultured stem cells for customized meat design (CUSTOMEAT) (FWO-SBO S002821N)
Selected publications
Vermeirssen, V., Van Camp, J. & Verstraete, W. (2004). Bioavailability of angiotensin I converting enzyme inhibitory peptides. British Journal of Nutrition, 92(3), 357-366.
Gonzales, G. B., Smagghe, G., Grootaert, C., Zotti, M., Raes, K. & Van Camp, J. (2015). Flavonoid interactions during digestion, absorption, distribution and metabolism: a sequential structure-activity/property relationship-based approach in the study of bioavailability and bioactivity. Drug Metabolism Reviews, 47(2), 175-190.
Toaldo, I. M., Van Camp, J., Gonzales, G. B., Kamiloglu, S., Bordignon-Luiz, M.T., Smagghe, G., Raes, K., Capanoglu, E. & Grootaert, C. (2016). Resveratrol improves TNF-alpha-induced endothelial dysfunction in a co-culture model of a Caco-2 with an endothelial cell line. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 36, 21-30.
Van Rymenant, E., Abranko, L., Tumova, S., Grootaert, C., Van Camp, J., Williamson, G. & Kerimi, A. (2017). Chronic exposure to short-chain fatty acids modulates transport and metabolism of microbiome-derived phenolics in human intestinal cells. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 39, 156-168.
Vissenaekens, H., Grootaert, C., Rajkovic, A., De Schutter, K., Raes, K., Smagghe, G., Van de Wiele, T. & Van Camp, J. (2019). Cell line-dependent increase in cellular quercetin accumulation upon stress induced by valinomycin and lipopolysaccharide, but not by TNF-alpha. Food Research International, 125, 108596.