Advancement of Imaging and Modeling Techniques for Understanding Gastric Physical Forces on Food

The physical forces exerted by the stomach
break down the food particles mechanically facilitating
digestion and absorption. Such mechanical action occurs
by the powerful peristaltic contractions along the stomach
wall, known as gastric motor function. Several in vitro
models are developed to understand this mechanical
digestion of food particle breakdown. However, the fluid
mechanical forces that determine the pressure and flow
fields with the effect on shear stress, dispersing food particles
remains overlooked. Modern imaging techniques
such as magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography
scan and ultrasound help to visualize the digestion
process involving mixing, dilution and dispersion of food.
On the other hand, advances in computational methods
have proven effective in predicting the interaction between
gastric functions and food physical properties. The review
discusses the novel imaging and modeling techniques to
understand the stomach physical forces that gives information
on designing a food formulation (e.g., functional
foods) at manufacture stage, targeted for a particular
purpose.