Towards an improved global antioxidant response method (GAR+): Physiological-resembling in vitro...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutritional Science
• Microbiology

Background:

• Antioxidant capacity of food is crucial for shelf life and human health.
• Existing extraction methods using organic solvents or in vitro digestion lack subsequent fermentation, limiting accuracy.
• Current methods do not fully capture the in vivo antioxidant activity of foods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an improved protocol, the global antioxidant response (GAR+), for determining the comprehensive antioxidant capacity of foods.
• To incorporate both in vitro digestion and fermentation steps to better reflect in vivo conditions.

Main Methods:

• Developed the GAR+ protocol, integrating in vitro digestion with a subsequent fermentation step.
• Utilized a standardized fresh fecal inoculum for fermentation to minimize variability.
• Recommended pooling fecal matter from healthy donors to enhance the repeatability of results.

Main Results:

• The GAR+ method includes both digestion and fermentation, providing a more holistic measure of antioxidant capacity.
• Fermentation significantly contributes to the overall antioxidant capacity in certain food types.
• The protocol yields reliable values closer to the actual in vivo activity of food antioxidants.

Conclusions:

• The GAR+ method offers a more accurate assessment of a food's global antioxidant response by simulating gut microbiota activity.
• Incorporating fermentation is essential for a complete understanding of a food's antioxidant potential.
• This improved protocol enhances the reliability and relevance of food antioxidant capacity measurements.