Impact ofin vitrodigestion phases on the stability and bioaccessibility of carotenoids and their esters in mandarin pulps

Abstract

The composition of carotenoids (carotenes and free and acylated xanthophylls) and their bioaccessibilities were determined for the first time in pulps of mandarins cultivated in Brazil. Two cultivars of mandarin, Citrus reticulata Blanco cv. 'Ponkan' and Citrus reticulata × C. sinensis cv. 'Murcott', showed higher contents of most carotenoids compared to those found in C. deliciosa Tenore cv. 'Rio'. The major carotenoids in mandarin cv. 'Ponkan' and 'Murcott' were (all-E)-β-cryptoxanthin laurate (19-21%), (all-E)-β-cryptoxanthin myristate (15-17%) and (Z)-ζ-carotene (7-12%), followed by (all-E)-β-cryptoxanthin palmitate (4-7%), free (all-E)-β-cryptoxanthin (5-6%) and (all-E)-β-carotene (4-5%), while in mandarin cv. 'Rio' (all-E)-β-cryptoxanthin myristate (22%) was the major compound, followed by (all-E)-β-cryptoxanthin laurate (16%), (all-E)-β-cryptoxanthin palmitate (11%), (all-E)-β-cryptoxanthin (9%) and (all-E)-β-carotene (6%). After in vitro digestion, the qualitative carotenoid profile of the supernatant containing the micellarized carotenoids was similar to that of fresh fruits, but the contents were significantly lower. Carotenoid and mandarin physico-chemical properties influenced the bioaccessibility of carotenoids. Free (all-E)-β-cryptoxanthin showed the highest bioaccessibility in all mandarin cultivars (33-42%), while the bioaccessibilities of β-carotene (16-36%) and the major carotenoid esters (18-33%) were lower. The overall recovery of carotenoids during in vitro digestion was around 98% after the oral phase, 79% after oral + gastric phases and 77% after oral + gastric + duodenal phases, with free (all-E)-β-cryptoxanthin and (all-E)-β-carotene being the most stable ones. Besides possible E-Z isomerization and ester hydrolysis, evident losses occurred in total carotenoid contents and also in the most individual carotenoids and they were not compensated for by the former reactions.

Bioaccessibility of carotenoids from plant and animal foods

“…Some studies using this new standardized methodology have already surfaced . However, because this model has not been designed to specifically digest carotenoid‐rich foods, we consider that further advanced adjustments are required to improve the base model proposed by Minekus et al .…”

“…Therefore, in vitro digestion models allow study of the degradation of carotenoids during the different phases of digestion. During recent years, several studies have reported losses in the range of 20–30% of the initially fed carotenoid doses during the in vitro digestion . Blanquet‐Diot et al .…”

“…96 Some studies using this new standardized methodology have already surfaced. 16,86,87,[91][92][93]99,100 However, because this model has not been designed to specifically digest carotenoid-rich foods, we consider that further advanced adjustments are required to improve the base model proposed by Minekus et al 96 For example, as previously noted, the consensus paper does not comment on how to obtain micellar intestinal fractions, which are considered to contain the bioaccessible carotenoids. Furthermore, foods rich in carotenoid esters require further adaptions of the model to allow the simulation of intestinal carotenoid ester cleavage.…”

“…During recent years, several studies have reported losses in the range of 20-30% of the initially fed carotenoid doses during the in vitro digestion. 81,99,132,133 Blanquet-Diot et al 132 found that zeaxanthin and lutein from yellow and red tomato meals were widely stable during in vitro digestion using a dynamic system. A marked contrast was observed for -carotene when obtained from yellow or red tomato, being stable for yellow tomato and presenting losses of approximately 32% for red tomato.…”

Food structure design to modulate bioaccessibility of carotenoids from brazilian native fruits after screening of eleven non-conventional tropical fruits

“…The encapsulation of carotenoids inside oil droplets can be compared to their incorporation into the mixed micelles formed during intestinal digestion. Many reports shows greater micellarization of xanthophylls than carotenes in vegetables due to their degree of polarity (Petry and Mercadante, 2017;Dube et al 2018). Also, β-carotene, lycopene, α-carotene and lutein micellarization are affected differently by addition of unsaturated fat (higher micellarization) or saturated fat (lower micellarization) (Mashurabad et al 2017).…”