Irish Cheddar cheese increases glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion in vitro but bioactivity is lost during gut transit

Appetite can be effectively reduced by targeting the production, secretion, circulation time or receptor of the enteric satiety hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). The objective of this study was to investigate the potency of Irish Cheddar cheeses to modulate GLP-1 levels. Nine out of ten water-soluble extracts (WSEs) of representative Irish Cheddar cheeses, post 6 months ripening, significantly (p < 0.05) stimulated active GLP-1 secretion from the mouse enteroendocrine cell line STC-1. This secretion was associated with protein content and ripening time of cheese. C-57BL/6 mice (n = 9/10), who received the most potent sample, C2-WSE-8 M, had a significantly reduced cumulative food intake at 6 h compared to control (p < 0.05), but not overall treatment × time effect over a 7 h period. Simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, that models the upper human gut, indicated loss of GLP-1 stimulating activity once C2-WSE-8M entered the intestinal phase, suggesting efficacy of C2-WSE-8M will depend on protection during gut transit.