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Review
. 2020 May 13;12(5):1401.
doi: 10.3390/nu12051401.

Influence of In Vitro Digestion on Composition, Bioaccessibility and Antioxidant Activity of Food Polyphenols-A Non-Systematic Review

Karolina Wojtunik-Kulesza  1 , Anna Oniszczuk  1 , Tomasz Oniszczuk  2 , Maciej Combrzyński  2 , Dominika Nowakowska  3 , Arkadiusz Matwijczuk  4
Affiliations
Review

Influence of In Vitro Digestion on Composition, Bioaccessibility and Antioxidant Activity of Food Polyphenols-A Non-Systematic Review

Karolina Wojtunik-Kulesza et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

There is increased interest in following a healthy lifestyle and consuming a substantial portion of secondary plant metabolites, such as polyphenols, due to their benefits for the human body. Food products enriched with various forms of fruits and vegetables are sources of pro-health components. Nevertheless, in many cases, the level of their activities is changed in in vivo conditions. The changes are strictly connected with processes in the digestive system that transfigure the structure of the active compounds and simultaneously keep or modify their biological activities. Much attention has focused on their bioavailability, a prerequisite for further physiological functions. As human studies are time consuming, costly and restricted by ethical concerns, in vitro models for investigating the effects of digestion on these compounds have been developed to predict their release from the food matrix, as well as their bioaccessibility. Most typically, models simulate digestion in the oral cavity, the stomach, the small intestine and, occasionally, the large intestine. The presented review aims to discuss the impact of in vitro digestion on the composition, bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity of food polyphenols. Additionally, we consider the influence of pH on antioxidant changes in the aforementioned substances.

Keywords: antioxidants; bioaccessibility; gastrointenstinal digestion; plant metabolites; polyphenols.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Dietary polyphenols—classification and examples [54].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Structures of cinnamic and benzoic acid derivatives. Substitution of the hydroxyl group in the R position leads to the generation of the various phenolic acids. Examples of cinnamic acid derivatives include caffeic acid (R3 = R4 = OH), ferulic acid (R2 = OCH3, R3 = OH) and the benzoic acid derivatives: vanillic acid (R2 = OCH3, R3 = OH) and gallic acid (R2 = R3 = R4 = OH).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Classification of flavonoids.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Gallic acid—free radical reaction and explanation of the stability of the obtained phenolic radical.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Metal chelation by quercetin—possible chelating sites.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Flavonoids—free radical scavenging mechanism.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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