A new approach to appetite control
The SATIN (Satiety innovation) developed foods that regulate appetite in three ways: reducing hunger, accelerating within-meal satiety and enhancing between-meal satiety. It achieved these goals by using advanced technologies to refine and process food according to their satiating potential. The team then conducted studies to determine the effectiveness and safety of these new foods. Researchers developed an in vitro food component screening platform, which includes an artificial dynamic gastrointestinal model that simulates digestion and the impact of food on different stages of the process. The consortium used the model to determine whether natural plant extracts have satiating properties. The model was also used to determine how food processing affects food ingredients. Another aspect of the project was to take foods representative of the normal European diet and modify them with specific processing techniques. Foods included beverages modified by homogenisation and fermentation, and soups modified by restructuring and heat treatment. About 80 prototypes and controls were assessed, and satiety-enhancing ingredients were added to many of these. Using in vivo studies, researchers then examined changes in microbiota, gut function and biomarkers of appetite to validate the in vitro screening platform. Results showed a change in microbiota composition following consumption of the modified diet. Project results have the potential to provide European consumers with a range of foods that have proven effects on appetite suppression. Therefore, researchers developed a model known as the satiety cascade, which can be used to develop new products. The model will reduce the number of ineffective products entering clinical trials by allowing a greater range of products to be tested in a valid simulation of the human gut, benefiting industry and consumers. SATIN outcomes will provide a clear route to market for distinct products and increase understanding of the benefits of a satiety-based approach to weight management for consumer health.
Keywords
Appetite control, weight management, satiety, SATIN, gastrointestinal, microbiota
