The Effect of Balsamic Vinegar Dressing on Protein and Carbohydrate Digestibility is Dependent on the Food Matrix

Abstract

The balsamic vinegar of Modena (BVM), a food specialty under the European Protected Geographical Indication system, is made from grape must blended with wine vinegar exclusively in the Italian province of Modena or Reggio Emilia. Vinegar is associated to an improved digestive function and glycemic response to carbohydrate-rich meals, appetite stimulation, and reduction of hyperlipidemia and obesity. Although many of these effects are attributed to the high concentration of bioactive molecules, the modulation of digestive enzymes activity could have a role. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of BVM on the digestibility and component release of three foods that are often seasoned with this dressing but have different composition: Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Bresaola (cured meat), and boiled potatoes. BVM modulated the protein digestion of protein-rich foods (cheese and cured meat) in a matrix-dependent manner, and the BVM effect was mainly related to the inhibition of pepsin in the gastric phase. In the starch-rich food (boiled potatoes), the most impressive effect of BVM was the lower release of anomeric and total carbohydrates, which was consistent with the observed reduction of pancreatic amylase activity. The present investigation shed a new light on the impact of BVM on the digestion process.

Keywords: NMR spectroscopy; acetic acid; balsamic vinegar of Modena; bioaccessibility; carbohydrate digestibility; foodomics; in vitro digestion; protein digestibility; vinegar.

Figure 1

Integral area of carbohydrate and anomeric region of in vitro digested samples of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (PRC), Bresaola, and boiled potatoes. All data are means ± SD of at least three independent in vitro digestions. In each food matrix and spectral region, statistical analysis was by the one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test to compare the release of soluble molecules at different time points (different letters indicate significant differences) and by the Student’s t-test to evaluate the effect of BVM at each time point (* at least p < 0.05).

Figure 2

Integral area of α-amino acid and peptide proton regions of in vitro digested samples of PRC, Bresaola, and boiled potatoes. All data are means ± SD of at least three independent in vitro digestions. In each food matrix and spectral region, statistical analysis was by the one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test to compare the release of soluble molecules at different time points (different letters indicate significant differences) and by the Student’s t-test to evaluate the effect of BVM at each time point (* at least p < 0.05).

Figure 3

Extent of protein hydrolysis in PRC, Bresaola, and boiled potatoes at different time points of in vitro digestion. Protein hydrolysis into peptides >3 KDa was evaluated by the Coomassie assay. Data are means ± SD of at least three independent in vitro digestions. In each food matrix, statistical analysis was by the one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test to compare protein hydrolysis at different time points (different letters indicate significant differences with a p < 0.05), and by the Student’s t-test to evaluate the effect of BVM at each time point (* at least p < 0.05).

Figure 4

Integral area of aliphatic and aromatic region of in vitro digested samples of PRC, Bresaola, and boiled potatoes. All data are means ± SD of at least three independent in vitro digestions. In each food matrix and spectral region, statistical analysis was by the one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test to compare the release of soluble molecules at different time points (different letters indicate significant differences) and by the Student’s t-test to evaluate the effect of BVM at each time point (* at least p < 0.05).