Bioaccessibility and Antioxidant Activity of Phenolic Compounds in Food Systems

Phenolic compounds, a diverse class of secondary plant metabolites, contribute substantially to the nutritional and functional quality of fruits, vegetables, cereals and beverages. Their health benefits are largely determined by bioaccessibility – the proportion of phenolics released from the food matrix during digestion and rendered available for intestinal absorption – and by antioxidant activity, the capacity to neutralise reactive species. Factors such as food processing, matrix composition, pH shifts and digestive enzymes govern the stability and transformation of phenolic structures. Interactions with dietary fibre, proteins and lipids may hinder or enhance release, whilst the gut microbiota further modifies phenolic profiles in the colon, generating metabolites with distinct biological activities. Reliable in vitro digestion models that simulate oral, gastric and small‐intestinal conditions, often complemented by colonic fermentation steps, have become indispensable for predicting in vivo behaviour. Measurements of total phenolic content and antioxidant assays (DPPH, FRAP, ABTS and ORAC) provide quantitative insights, yet must be interpreted in the context of bioaccessibility data. Advances in chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques now enable detailed mapping of individual phenolic species throughout the digestive process. A deeper understanding of these dynamics has implications for the design of functional foods, dietary recommendations and strategies to harness the full potential of plant bioactives for disease prevention and gut health.

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Bioaccessibility and Antioxidant Activity of Phenolic Compounds in Food Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds in food systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Bioaccessibility: fraction of a compound released from the food matrix in the gastrointestinal tract and available for absorption.

Phenolic compounds: secondary plant metabolites characterised by one or more phenol groups, widely distributed in fruits, vegetables and beverages.

Food matrix: composite of nutrients and non‐nutrients within a food, influencing the release, stability and absorption of bioactive compounds.

Antioxidant activity: ability of a substance to scavenge free radicals or inhibit oxidation processes in biological or chemical systems.

In vitro digestion: laboratory‐based simulation of human gastrointestinal conditions, often including oral, gastric and intestinal phases to predict bioaccessibility.

References

1. Stability and Bioaccessibility of Phenolic Compounds in Rosehip Extracts during In Vitro Digestion. Antioxidants (2023).
2. Influence of In Vitro Digestion on Composition, Bioaccessibility and Antioxidant Activity of Food Polyphenols—A Non-Systematic Review. Nutrients (2020).
3. Colon Bioaccessibility and Antioxidant Activity of White, Green and Black Tea Polyphenols Extract after In Vitro Simulated Gastrointestinal Digestion. Nutrients (2018).