To determine the effect of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on the release and antioxidant capacity of encapsulated and nonencapsulated phenolics carob pulp extracts, unripe and ripe carob pulp extracts were microencapsulated with polycaprolactone via double emulsion/solvent evaporation technique. Microcapsules' characterization was performed using scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry analysis. Total phenolics and flavonoids content and antioxidant activities (ORAC, DPPH, and FRAP) were evaluated after each digestion step. The release of phenolic acids and flavonoids was measured along the digestion process by HPLC-MS/MS analysis. The most important phenolics and flavonoids content as well as antioxidant activities were observed after gastric and intestinal phases for nonencapsulated and encapsulated extracts, respectively. The microencapsulation of carob polyphenols showed a protective effect against pH changes and enzymatic activities along digestion, thereby promoting a controlled release and targeted delivery of the encapsulated compound, which contributed to an increase in its bioaccessibility in the gut.

This study was carried out to determine the phenolic contents and the antioxidant activity of four nuts with different solvent extract. Total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and proanthocyanidin were quantified. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by various in vitro tests, including ferric reducing power, phosphomolybdenum method assay, and free radical scavenging activity. The results showed that the total phenolic contents varied between 0.30 g GAE/100 g (peanuts) and 1.65 g GAE/100 g (walnuts); the fl avonoid contents varied between 0.17 g QE/100 g (peanuts) and 0.41 g QE/100 g (hazelnut). The phenolic contents of four nut extracts exhibit potent antioxidant activity. Indeed, walnuts were the richest in total phenolic content and demonstrated the highest potential for overall antioxidant capacity using ferric reducing power assay (FRP), phosphomolybdenum method assay, and free radical scavenging activity (FRSA). Phenolic amounts positively correlated with antioxidant activity tested.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on the phenolic amounts and their antioxidant potential of three prickly pear variety extracts. The total phenolic compounds (phenolic, fl avonoid, and proanthocyanidin) contents were assessed as well as their antioxidant activities (total antioxidant capacity, ferric reducing power, and DPPH free radical scavenging activity) were evaluated before and after digestion. Our results showed that before digestion, the yellow variety possesses high phenolic and proanthocyanidin contents with values of 3176±18 mg GAE/100 g and 90.3±9.8 mg CE/100 g, respectively. However, the red variety has high fl avonoids content with a value of 1638±6 mg QE/100 g. Antioxidant activities showed similar trend that phenolic compounds. During the digestion, the antioxidant potential of digested extracts decreased signifi cantly (P<0.001) compared to undigested ones. Hence, this potential increased signifi cantly (P<0.01) from the oral to the intestinal phases. The statistical analysis revealed a moderate correlation between phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. Hence, IVGID affects the antioxidant potential of extracts, but pH and enzymatic changes do not affect their gut bioaccessibility.

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