Digestion of cross-linked caseinate versus native caseinate in a lab model
What it found
In a lab model mimicking adult and child digestion, cross-linked caseinate and native caseinate broke down to similar amounts of nitrogen.
The speed of breakdown depended on the food it was in.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Total nitrogen released
Both forms of caseinate released similar total amounts of nitrogen during digestion. This was true under both adult and child conditions in the lab model.
Speed of digestion
How fast the proteins broke down depended on whether they were in liquid or in cheese spread. In the small intestine part of the model, both proteins were digested quickly.
Stomach breakdown patterns
Cross-linked caseinate broke down in the stomach without leaving large protein pieces. Native caseinate digested slowly and could still be found in the stomach after 90 min.
Small peptide formation
In the small intestine section, cross-linked caseinate broke down into small peptides. Native caseinate resisted stomach enzymes under both adult and child conditions in the lab.
What the authors conclude
- They found no major difference in the total nitrogen released from either form of caseinate during digestion.
- They note that the type of food holding the protein changed how fast it was broken down.
How it was done
The authors wanted to see how an enzyme-treated form of caseinate digests compared to regular caseinate. They tested both in liquid and in cheese spread using a model that copies stomach and gut conditions.
They used a multi-chamber lab model that copies the digestive tract of adults and young children. They tested cross-linked caseinate and native caseinate, both dissolved in liquid and mixed into cheese spread. They collected samples to measure nitrogen and to look at protein fragments.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This work used a lab model rather than real people. It cannot show exactly how these proteins digest in a living human body.
- Lab models copy digestion but may miss factors like individual differences between people.
The paper
- Title
- Digestibility of transglutaminase cross-linked caseinate versus native caseinate in an in vitro multicompartmental model simulating young child and adult gastrointestinal conditions
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Havenaar R, de Jong A, Koenen ME, et al (2013). Digestibility of transglutaminase cross-linked caseinate versus native caseinate in an in vitro multicompartmental model simulating young child and adult gastrointestinal conditions. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. doi:10.1021/jf402824uPubMed 23822864DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error