Mind the gap - deficits in our knowledge of aspects impacting bioavailability of phytochemicals and their metabolites - a position paper focusing on carotenoids and polyphenols
Review article, 2015
Various secondary plant metabolites or phytochemicals, including polyphenols and carotenoids, have been associated with a variety of health benefits, such as reduced incidence of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and several types of cancer, most likely due to their involvement in ameliorating inflammatory and oxidative stress. However, discrepancies exist between their putative effects when comparing observational and intervention studies, especially when using pure compounds. These discrepancies may in part be explained by differences in intake levels and their bioavailability. Prior to exerting their bioactivity, these compounds must be made bioavailable, and considerable differences may arise due to their their matrix release, changes during digestion, uptake, metabolism, and biodistribution, even before considering dose and host related factors. Though many insights have been gained on factors affecting secondary plant metabolite bioavailability, many gaps still exist in our knowledge. In this position paper, we highlight several major gaps in our understanding of phytochemical bioavailability, including effects of food processing, changes during digestion, involvement of cellular transporters in influx/efflux through the gastrointestinal epithelium, changes during colonic fermentation, and their phase I and phase II metabolism following absorption.
Microbiota
Food processing
Mixed diet
Biotransformation
Transporters
Author
T. Bohn
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
Gordon J. McDougall
The James Hutton Institute
Amparo Alegria
Universitat de Valencia
Marie Alminger
Chalmers, Biology and Biological Engineering, Food and Nutrition Science
Eva Arrigoni
Forschungsanstalt Agroscope Changins-Wadenswil
Anna-Marja Aura
Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT)
Catarina Brito
Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnologica
Nova University of Lisbon
Antonio Cilla
Universitat de Valencia
Sedef N. El
Ege University
S. Karakaya
Ege University
Marie C. Martinez-Cuesta
Institute of Food Science Research (CIAL)
C. N. Santos
Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnologica
Nova University of Lisbon
Molecular Nutrition and Food Research
16134125 (ISSN) 16134133 (eISSN)
Vol. 59 7 1307-13231-17-1323Subject Categories
Other Engineering and Technologies
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Other Chemistry Topics
Nutrition and Dietetics
Roots
Basic sciences
Areas of Advance
Life Science Engineering (2010-2018)
DOI
10.1002/mnfr.201400745