EMULSION AND ABSORPTION OF LIPIDS - THE I MPORTANCE OF PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES

This brief review points out the physicochemical behaviour of dietary lipids in the digestive tract and summarize the different physicochemi cal properties able to influence fat digestion and absorption. Dietary lipids are present as emulsions sizing 40-5 mu m since the gastric ph ase of digestion despite gastric acidity, and no further emulsificatio n of the emulsions occurs in the duodenum, despite a high level of emu lsifying compounds. The fat globule size governs intragastric and intr aduodenal lipolysis, and consequently lipids bioavailability, in rots and healthy human beings. Furthermore, fat globule organization, le. p artition of lipids between the cor and the surface of the globule and type of the surface (mono- or multi-layer, presence of protein), and t he structure of the triglycerides influence fat digestion, absorption and metabolism. This observations might be of a great interest in the conception of emulsions for enteral nutrition, and especially for purp ose of nutritional therapy in pancreatic insufficiencies, and can be u seful to reduce fat digestion and absorption in hyperlipemics and obes e patients.