Application of the INFOGEST 2.0 standardized method to study the behavior of phenolic compounds throughout gastrointestinal digestion

Abstract

The potential of phenolic compounds as molecules that exerted interesting biological activities has been exhaustively demonstrated. However, digestion may affect their stability, bioaccessibility and bioavailability. The INFOGEST 2.0 is a standardized methodology to in vitro simulate human gastrointestinal digestion. The main objective of this study was to systematically review the scientific literature related to INFOGEST 2.0 application to the study of food (poly)phenols, comprehensively and critically addressing how gastrointestinal digestion affects their stability, bioaccessibility and biological activity. From the 1658 articles obtained in the initial search, 121 were selected. Many works showed high bioaccessibilities for total phenolics (>100 %), although the ratios were very variable, particularly for individual species. Technological approaches (e.g., encapsulation or microbial fermentation) could be applied to improved bioaccessibility. In vitro activities were also studied, with clear dominance of antioxidant assays, and the reviewed works suggested that, particularly when bioaccessibility is high, digestion might enhance bioactivity