resumo
An in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell culture model was used to assess the stability and bioavailability of phenolic compounds in aqueous extracts of Four herbal infusions, traditionally used as functional drinks in Portugal. Alterations in antioxidant power were monitored by ABTS(+), whereas the profile of phenolic compounds was ascertained by HPLC-DAD. The bioavailability of rutin - an important flavonoid present in such extracts, and thus a representative of those compounds, was assessed across Caco-2 cells via LC-MS/MS. Our results indicate that several antioxidant compounds are not affected by the (simulated) digestive process, whereas others undergo decreases in their activity throughout said process; a few have their antioxidant capacity hampered under stomach-like conditions. It was also found that rutin can be transported across the Caco-2 cell barrier. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
palavras-chave
PHENOLIC-COMPOUNDS; BIOAVAILABILITY; POLYPHENOLS; FLAVONOIDS; SYSTEM; MODEL
categoria
Chemistry; Food Science & Technology; Nutrition & Dietetics
autores
Giao, MS; Gomes, S; Madureira, AR; Faria, A; Pestana, D; Calhau, C; Pintado, ME; Azevedo, I; Malcata, FX
Grupos
agradecimentos
ERVITAL is gratefully acknowledged for making available all the experimental samples, as well as Miss Claudia Pereira for her support in statistical analyses and Miss Susana Garces for her support in laboratory work. Partial funding for authors MSG, AF and DP was via Ph.D. fellowships (Refs. SFRH/BD/19601/2004, SFRH/BD/28160/2006 and SFRH/BD/46640/2008, respectively - the former one was supervised by author FXM, and the latter two by author CC), all administered by Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (Portugal). Partial funding for the research expenses incurred was via Project Grant EXTRAVIDA (Ref. 13-05-04-FDR-00020), administered by Agencia de Inovacao, (Portugal) under program PRIME/IDEIA, and scientifically coordinated by author FXM. Author FXM acknowledges CBQF for making available the laboratory premises to perform a marginal part of the experiments described.