Carotenoids from fruits and vegetables: Chemistry, analysis, occurrence, bioavailability and biological activities

Determination of bioactive compounds content directly from foodstuff is not enough for the prediction of potential in vivo effects, as metabolites reaching the blood system may be different from the original compounds found in food, as a result of an intensive metabolism that takes place during absorption. Nutritional efficacy of food products may be ensured by the determination of bioaccessibility, which provides valuable information in order to select the appropriate dosage and source of food matrices. However, between all the methods available, there is a need to establish the best approach for the assessment of specific compounds. Comparison between in vivo and in vitro procedures used to determine bioaccessibility and bioavailability is carried out, taking into account the strengths and limitations of each experimental technique, along with an intensive description of actual approaches applied to assess bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds. Applications of these methods for specific bioactive compound's bioaccessibility or bioavailability are also discussed, considering studies regarding the bioavailability of carotenoids, polyphenolic compounds, glucosinolates, vitamin E, and phytosterols.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1541-4337.12049

Analytical Methods for Determining Bioavailability and Bioaccessibility of Bioactive Compounds from Fruits and Vegetables: A Review

Fruit and vegetable intake has been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Quercetin and kaempferol are among the most ubiquitous polyphenols in fruit and vegetables. Most of the quercetin and kaempferol in plants is attached to sugar moieties rather than in the free form. The types and attachments of sugars impact bioavailability, and thus bioactivity. This article aims to review the current literature on the bioavailability of quercetin and kaempferol from food sources and evaluate the potential cardiovascular effects in humans. Foods with the highest concentrations of quercetin and kaempferol in plants are not necessarily the most bioavailable sources. Glucoside conjugates which are found in onions appear to have the highest bioavailability in humans. The absorbed quercetin and kaempferol are rapidly metabolized in the liver and circulate as methyl, glucuronide, and sulfate metabolites. These metabolites can be measured in the blood and urine to assess bioactivity in human trials. The optimal effective dose of quercetin reported to have beneficial effect of lowering blood pressure and inflammation is 500 mg of the aglycone form. Few clinical studies have examined the potential cardiovascular effects of high intakes of quercetin- and kaempferol-rich plants. However, it is possible that a lower dosage from plant sources could be effective due to of its higher bioavailability compared to the aglycone form. Studies are needed to evaluate the potential cardiovascular benefits of plants rich in quercetin and kaempferol glycoside conjugates.

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Dietary Quercetin and Kaempferol: Bioavailability and Potential Cardiovascular-Related Bioactivity in Humans

In recent years there has been a growing interest in the biological activity of red beetroot (Beta vulgaris rubra) and its potential utility as a health promoting and disease preventing functional food. As a source of nitrate, beetroot ingestion provides a natural means of increasing in vivo nitric oxide (NO) availability and has emerged as a potential strategy to prevent and manage pathologies associated with diminished NO bioavailability, notably hypertension and endothelial function. Beetroot is also being considered as a promising therapeutic treatment in a range of clinical pathologies associated with oxidative stress and inflammation. Its constituents, most notably the betalain pigments, display potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and chemo-preventive activity in vitro and in vivo. The purpose of this review is to discuss beetroot’s biological activity and to evaluate evidence from studies that specifically investigated the effect of beetroot supplementation on inflammation, oxidative stress, cognition and endothelial function.

http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/22732/1/red_beetroot_supplementation.pdf

The potential benefits of red beetroot supplementation in health and disease

Fruits and vegetables, as a source of nutritional compounds and phytochemicals: Changes in bioactive compounds during lactic fermentation.

Bioavailability is a key step in ensuring bioefficacy of bioactive food compounds or oral drugs. Bioavailability is a complex process involving several different stages: liberation, absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination phases (LADME). Bioactive food compounds, whether derived from various plant or animal sources, need to be bioavailable in order to exert any beneficial effects. Through a better understanding of the digestive fate of bioactive food compounds we can impact the promotion of health and improvement of performance. Many varying factors affect bioavailability, such as bioaccessibility, food matrix effect, transporters, molecular structures and metabolizing enzymes. Bioefficacy may be improved through enhanced bioavailability. Therefore, several technologies have been developed to improve the bioavailability of xenobiotics, including structural modifications, nanotechnology and colloidal systems. Due to the complex nature of food bioactive compounds and also to the different mechanisms of absorption of hydrophilic and lipophilic bioactive compounds, unravelling the bioavailability of food constituents is challenging. Among the food sources discussed during this review, coffee, tea, citrus fruit and fish oil were included as sources of food bioactive compounds (e.g. (poly)phenols and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)) since they are examples of important ingredients for the food industry. Although there are many studies reporting on bioavailability and bioefficacy of these bioactive food components, understanding their interactions, metabolism and mechanism of action still requires extensive work. This review focuses on some of the major factors affecting the bioavailability of the aforementioned bioactive food compounds.

/pdf/bioavailability-of-bioactive-food-compounds-a-challenging-16dm46vhv0.pdf

Bioavailability of bioactive food compounds: a challenging journey to bioefficacy

Tea: A new perspective on health benefits

Although there are many studies reporting the potential health benefits of the diverse bioactive compounds present in our diet, many aspects related to their bioavailability and bioaccessibility, and particularly their metabolism, have been poorly investigated. In order to exert an effect in the body, a compound should be able to reach the target site of action at concentrations that will trigger the expected response. When considering the potential beneficial effects of bioactive food compounds, it is important to take into account the many factors that can have a significant effect on their bioavailability, and consequently can alter the amount of these compounds that will be absorbed and that will ultimately reach the site of action. This chapter focuses on the several means of improving bioavailability that are described in the literature, including bioaccessibility, food matrix, biological transporters, metabolizing enzymes, and molecular interactions.

Improvement of Bioaccessibility and Bioavailability: From Molecular Interactions to Delivery Systems

The present invention relates generally to the field of flavan-3-ols. In particular, the present invention provides a way to increase the bioavailability of flavan-3-ols. Embodiments of the present invention relate to the use of at least one polyphenolic compound in a composition comprising at least one flavan-3-ol for increasing the bioavailability of said flavan-3-ol, wherein the at least one polyphenolic compound is selected from a group consisting of flavonols, flavones, isoflavones, flavanones, or combinations thereof.

Increasing the bioavailability of flavan-3-ols by polyphenols

The present invention relates generally to the field of flavan-3-ols. In particular, the present invention provides a way to increase the bioavailability of flavan-3-ols. Embodiments of the present invention relate to the use of at least one carbohydrate with a glycemic index of less than 50 in a composition comprising at least one flavan-3-ol for increasing the bioavailability of said flavan-3-ol.

Marcia da Silva Pinto

Papers

Bioavailability of bioactive food compounds: a challenging journey to bioefficacy

Tea: A new perspective on health benefits

Improvement of Bioaccessibility and Bioavailability: From Molecular Interactions to Delivery Systems

Increasing the bioavailability of flavan-3-ols by polyphenols

Increasing the bioavailability of flavan-3-ols with carbohydrates with a low glycemic index