Bioactive compounds for functional foods: delivery systems, bioaccessibility and biological activity

Abstract

Issues related to bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds provide valued information for designing functional foods. Relevant bioactive compounds, such as phenolic compounds from plant extracts, omega 3 fatty acids and α-lipoic acid have been evaluated as potential functional ingredients for the development of new healthier food formulations. This evaluation has addressed bioaccessibility, biological activity and chemical, methodological and technological aspects. In vitro gastrointestinal digestion models are a valuable tool for assessing the bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds, being the interpretation of results highly influenced by the methodology applied. Phenolic compounds from extracts of Melissa officinalis L., Origanum vulgare L. and Lavandula latifolia Medicus were chemically characterized. After an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, compounds responsible for the antioxidant activity of these extracts remained bioaccessible and showed biological activity in the Caenorhabditis elegans nematode model. Emulsion-based delivery systems (O/W emulsions and gelled emulsions) showed to be an effective strategy to increase the bioaccessibility of long chain omega 3 fatty acids and the antioxidant properties of an aqueous extract of M. officinalis. The supplementation of eicosapentaenoic acid and α-lipoic acid in overweight/obese women following a hypocaloric diet had a positive influence in the plasma lipid profile of the volunteers. Therefore, the bioactive compounds and delivery systems studied in this work are promising ingredients to design bioaccessible functional foods that contribute to promote human health.