The intestinal tract is the largest barrier between a person and the environment. In this role,
the intestinal tract is responsible not only for absorbing essential dietary nutrients, but also
for protecting the host from a variety of ingested toxins and microbes. The intestinal barrier
system is composed of a mucus layer, intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), tight junctions (TJs),
immune cells, and a gut microbiota, which are all susceptible to external factors such as
dietary fats. When components of this barrier system are disrupted, intestinal permeability to …