Stability and Bioaccessibility of Phenolic Compounds in Rosehip Extracts during In Vitro Digestion.

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutraceuticals
• Pharmacognosy

Background:

• Rosehips, especially Rosa canina, are rich in phenolic antioxidants.
• The health benefits of rosehips depend on the bioaccessibility of these phenolic compounds.
• Gastrointestinal digestion significantly impacts phenolic compound bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of in vitro gastrointestinal and colonic digestion on phenolic compounds from Rosa canina extract.
• To determine the impact of digestion on the antioxidant capacity of rosehip extract.
• To assess the bioaccessibility of individual phenolic compounds.

Main Methods:

• Hydroalcoholic extract of Rosa canina fruits.
• In vitro gastrointestinal and colonic digestion models.
• UPLC-MS/MS for phenolic compound identification and quantification.
• DPPH and FRAP assays for antioxidant activity determination.

Main Results:

• Gastric digestion reduced free phenolic content and DPPH radical scavenging activity.
• Intestinal digestion enhanced phenolic content and antioxidant activity (DPPH and FRAP).
• Flavonols (73.3%) and flavan-3-ols (71.4%) showed high bioaccessibility; phenolic acids had low bioaccessibility (3%), except ellagic acid (93%).
• Colonic digestion decreased total phenolic content, likely due to microbial transformation.

Conclusions:

• Rosehip (Rosa canina) extract exhibits significant antioxidant potential.
• Bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds varies, with ellagic acid, flavonols, and flavan-3-ols being highly bioaccessible.
• Rosehip extracts are promising functional ingredients for health applications.