Bioavailability of bioactive food compounds: a challenging journey to bioefficacy

Abstract

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.

Recent trends in the development of nanophytobioactive compounds and delivery systems for their possible role in reducing oxidative stress in Parkinson’s disease models

“…[6][7][8] Oral administration is the most convenient for the repeated and routine delivery of bioactive compounds. [9][10][11] However, it is most challenging due to the protection of brain by blood-brain barrier with the narrow diameter of approximately less than 20 nm that limits the entry of most bioactive molecules. Nanotechnology research has been utilized to enhance the permeability, solubility, and stability of bioactive compounds and to enhance delivery of phytobioactive compounds 12,13 to the various target sites including brain.…”

Therapeutic Potential for Natural Product HDAC Inhibitors in Heart Failure

“…The benefits from consuming fruits, vegetables, and whole grains have been well-studied and well-established [48]; focus has now turned to their underlying mechanisms. HDACi, and other compounds, derived from plants, herbs, and foods stuffs are known to be bioactive compounds [15]. Bioactive HDACi as well as their descriptions and specifications can be found in some detail [49,50].…”

“…Classes I, II, and IV are comprised of zinc dependent HDACs, where zinc is required There is a current shift in today's population in which natural compounds are preferred for use in medicine over synthetically produced medications. This has driven an increased demand for natural compound discovery as potential therapeutics [15,16]. Indeed, synthetic HDAC inhibitors are currently approved as well as under clinical trials for the treatment of various cancers.…”

Anticancer Effects of Curcumin, Artemisinin, Genistein, and Resveratrol, and Vitamin C: Free Versus Liposomal Forms

“…The beneficial effects of curcumin on cancer, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, antioxidant capacity, inflammation, and neurological, liver and respiratory disorders have recently been reviewed [15]- [21]. This is in spite of the poor bioavailability of curcumin [22] [23].…”