Caco-2 cells are derived from human colon cancer cell lines， which exhibit many characteristics similar to small intestinal epithelial cells like microvilli structure， brush-like edges， and tight junctions. It is currently the most widely used and classic model about test in vitro. In recent years， with the development of cell culture technology. The evaluation of the absorption and metabolism mechanism and function of food functional factors by cell model which has become a research hotspot. This article starts with the establishment and evaluation methods of the Caco-2 cell model and systematically summarizes the anti-inflammatory， anti-oxidation and anti-proliferation of functional food extracts in Caco-2 cells. Then absorption， metabolism， and transport mechanisms in cells are combined to provide a prospect for the development of the Caco-2 cell model in the field of co-culture. In order to improve the limitations of the Caco-2 cell model and lay the foundation for the further development of a cell culture model with high accuracy， high cost-effectiveness and closer to the internal environment.