Dietary fiber and phenolic compounds are two recognized dietary factors responsible for potential effects on human health; therefore, they have been widely used to increase functionality of some foods. This paper focuses on showing the use of both substances as functional ingredients for enriching foods, and at the same time, describes the use of a single material that combines the properties of the two types of substances. The last part of the work describes some facts related to the interaction between dietary fiber and phenolic compounds, which could affect the bioaccessibility and absorption of phenolics in the gut. In this sense, the purpose of the present review is to compile and analyze evidence relating to the use of dietary fiber and phenolic compounds to enhance technological and nutritional properties of foods and hypothesize some of the possible effects in the gut after their ingestion.

Edible coatings can extend the shelf-life of many foods, controlling moisture and solute migration, gas exchange and oxidative reaction rates. Besides, edible coatings can be used as carriers of bioactive compounds to improve the quality of food products such as antioxidants, antimicrobials, flavors and probiotics. These approaches can be useful to extend shelflife as well as provide a functional product. When edible coatings are used as a matrix holding bioactive compounds remarkable benefits arise; off odors and flavors can be masked, bioactive compounds are protected from the environment, and controlled release is allowed. In this sense, the present review will be focused on analyzing the potential use of encapsulation with edible coatings to incorporate bioactive compounds, solving the disadvantages of direct application.

The presence of dietary fiber (DF) in the food matrix of some tropical fruits plays an important role in the release and absorption of its bioactive compounds, such as phenolic compounds (PCs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the DF fractions in mango cv. ' Ataulfo' , papaya cv. 'Maradol' and pineapple cv. 'Esmeralda' , on the bioaccessibility of their PCs and antioxidant capacity (ADXC) under an in vitro digestion model. The highest PCs content and ADXC was found in mango (274.30 mg GAE/100 g FW), followed by papaya (212 mg GAE//100 g FW), and pineapple (107.63 mg GAE/100 g FW), respectively. About 50% of the total PCs in all fruits was released at gastric phase, increasing closer to 60% at intestinal phase in mango and pineapple. However, the highest content of PCs associated to DF was found in mango (2.48 mg GAE/100 g FW) compared with papaya DF fractions (0.96 GAE/100 g FW) and pineapple (0.52 GAE/100 g FW). The presence of DF in mango, papaya and pineapple did not represent a major limitation on the bioaccessibility of its PCs according to the in vitro digestion model used in this study.

The biological properties of polyphenol (PP) depend on its bioaccessibility and bioavailability. Therefore, part of PP released from the food matrix in the gastrointestinal tract through enzymatic hydrolysis is at least partially absorbed. The aim of this study is to determine the bioaccessibility of PP associated with dietary fiber (DF) and the kinetics release of PP in mango (Mangifera indica L.) 'Ataulfo' by-products by an in vitro model. Soluble and insoluble DF values were 7.99 and 18.56% in the mango paste and 6.98 and 22.78% in the mango peel, respectively. PP associated with soluble and insoluble DF was 6.0 and 3.73 g GAE per 100 g in the paste and 4.72 and 4.50 g GAE per 100 g in the peel. The bioaccessibility of PP was 38.67% in the pulp paste and 40.53% in the peel. A kinetics study shows a release rate of 2.66 and 3.27 g PP min(-1) in the paste and peel, respectively. The antioxidant capacity of the paste increased as digestion reached a value of 2.87 mmol TE min(-1) at 180 min. The antioxidant capacity of the peel had its maximum (28.94 mmol TE min(-1)) between 90 and 120 min of digestion; it started with a value of 2.58 mmol TE min(-1), and thereafter increased to 4.20 mmol TE min(-1) at 180 min. The major PPs released during the digestion of paste were gallic and hydroxybenzoic acids, while in the peel, they were hydroxycinnamic and vanillic acids. It was concluded that these phenolic compounds are readily available for absorption in the small intestine and exert different potential health benefits.