Chocolate dairy dessert fortified with Akkermansia muciniphila improves bioaccessibility of essential minerals

This study evaluated total mineral concentrations and mineral bioaccessibility in chocolate dairy desserts supplemented with Akkermansia muciniphila. Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and selenium (Ca, Mg, P, and Se) were investigated in a conventional control (AK0) and desserts supplemented at 8, 10, and 12 log CFU/g (AK8, AK10, and AK12, respectively). Samples underwent simulated gastrointestinal digestion using the INFOGEST 2.0 protocol, and minerals were quantified by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Total mineral concentrations did not differ among formulations (p > 0.05). However, mineral bioaccessibility was higher in supplemented desserts than in the conventional control (p ≤ 0.05) and increased with Akkermansia muciniphila concentration for all four elements (p ≤ 0.05). These findings suggest that changes in the dessert matrix during digestion, particularly in the presence of Akkermansia muciniphila, may have facilitated mineral release at the end of the intestinal phase. Supplementation increased mineral bioaccessibility under the tested in vitro conditions without changing total mineral content. Further investigation is needed to establish the mechanism and its relevance to mineral absorption in vivo.