title: Mathematical modeling of transport and degradation of feedstuffs in the small intestine.
abstract: We describe a mathematical model of digestion in the small intestine. The main interest of our work is to consider simultaneously the different aspects of digestion i.e. transport of the bolus all along the intestine, feedstuffs degradation according to the enzymes and local physical conditions, and nutrients absorption. A system of coupled ordinary differential equations is used to model these phenomena. The major unknowns of this system are the position of the bolus and its composition. This system of equations is solved numerically. We present several numerical computations for the degradation, absorption and transport of the bolus with acceptable accuracy regarding the overall behavior of the model and also when challenged versus experimental data. The main feature and interest of this model are its genericity. Even if we are at an early stage of development, our approach can be adapted to deal with contrasted feedstuffs in non-ruminant animal to predict the composition and velocity of bolus in the small intestine.
authors.affiliation: INRA, UR83 Recherches Avicoles, 37380 Nouzilly, France. masoomeh.taghipoor@lmpt.univ-tours.fr
authors.forename: Masoomeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taghipoor
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lescoat
authors.forename: Jean-René
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Licois
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Georgelin
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barles
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D004063:Digestion / Q000502:physiology*; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000502:physiology; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000502:physiology*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D013552:Swine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*