ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIPROLIFERATIVE ACTIVITY OF PLANT BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS DURING IN VITRO SIMULATED DIGESTION IN THE PRESENCE OF FOOD MATRIX

Abstract

One of the key factors that can hinder the beneficial effects of bioactive compounds found in food is their bioavailability, which is contingent upon their digestive stability, release from the food matrix, and efficiency in passing through the epithelial barrier. Our study investigated the impact of in vitro digestion and the food matrix on polyphenols from chokeberry fruits and organosulfur compounds from ramsons. Our results indicate that despite the significant transformation of chokeberry phenolics during digestion in the presence of the food matrix, they retain their potency as antioxidants and antiproliferative agents. Research on ramsons (Allium ursinum) suggests that its consumption may provide health benefits, particularly regarding potential anticancer properties. The safety characteristics of Lactobacillus fermentum strains associated with A. ursinum, including the absence of gelatinase and hemolytic activity, susceptibility to clinically relevant antibiotics, and beneficial properties such as survival in the simulated gastrointestinal environment, colonization of the intestinal mucosa, and immunomodulatory effects, indicate their potential use as probiotics for human consumption. This study represents the first comprehensive analysis of ramsons' antioxidant and antiproliferative properties, followed by an investigation into its microbiota and the health-promoting effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB).