Biocompatible Food Matrix for Digestibility and Bioavailability of β-Carotene, Resveratrol, and Gypenosides

The bioaccessibility and potential bioavailability of β-carotene, resveratrol and gypenosides are significantly influenced by co-ingested food matrices.

This study evaluated in vitro digestibility and potential bioavailability of these compounds using diverse carriers, including liquid (coffee, sprinkled and plain water), dairy (fruited and plain yogurt), solid (bread with sauce), and fruit/vegetable-based matrices (juices and smoothies).

Among liquid matrices, coffee significantly enhanced the digestibility and bioavailability of resveratrol (23%, 21%) and gypenosides (17%, 16.44%) but markedly reduced β-carotene uptake (0.23%, 0.14%) due to interference with micelle formation. Conversely, sprinkled water moderately improved β-carotene bioavailability (3.13%, 2.31%). Solid matrices, particularly bread + sauce, enhanced bioavailability of β-carotene (11%) and resveratrol (2.40%) due to the presence of emulsifying lipids. Dairy matrices showed mixed effects; plain and fruited yogurts improved gypenosides bioavailability (6.93-7.98%) but had limited benefit for resveratrol and β-carotene due to protein compound interactions. Among fruit/vegetable matrices, tomato juice and smoothies consistently enhanced bioavailability for all three compounds, especially gypenosides (17%, 8.83%) and β-carotene (6.91%, 6.28%), likely due to lycopene content, natural emulsifiers, and disrupted cellular structure.

These findings highlight that delivery matrix critically affects the digestive fate and potential efficacy of β-carotene, resveratrol, and gypenosides and structurally disrupted matrices offering superior absorption potential.