Impact of simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on bioactive compounds, bioactivity and cytotoxicity of melon (Cucumis melo L. inodorus) peel juice powder

• Published in: Food bioscience 2022-06, Vol.47, p.101726, Article 101726
• Main Authors: Gómez-García, Ricardo, Vilas-Boas, Ana A., Machado, Manuela, Campos, Débora A., Aguilar, Cristóbal N., Madureira, Ana R., Pintado, Manuela
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Functional ingredients; Melon by-products; Phenolic antioxidants; Prebiotic effect; Simulated digestion
• ISSN: 2212-4292; 2212-4306
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fbio.2022.101726

The objectives of this research work were to evaluate the effect of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion (GIT) on melon peel juice (MPJ) powder from fruit processing industry by-products, considering (i) the recovery and accessibility indexes, (ii) the changes on antioxidant activity, and (iii) the prebiotic effect. Throughout exposition to GIT conditions a decrease on the total phenolic content (TPC = 65.31%) and antioxidant activity by ABTS = 39.77% and DPPH = 45.91% were observed. However, these both parameters exhibited stable accessibility, accounting with 81.89%, 76.55%, and 54.07% for TPC, ABTS and DPPH, respectively. After gastrointestinal digestion, the non-absorbed fraction exhibited a positive impact on the growth of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus strains, possibly associated with the high content of simple sugar (glucose and fructose). This fraction also showed to be safe on Caco-2 intestinal cells. These findings suggest that MPJ might be used as a potential food functional ingredient. [Display omitted] •Fructose, citric and coumaric acids were the most remarkable compounds of melon peel.•Antioxidant activity and phenolics decreased significatively at intestinal phase.•Melon peel juice had a promising prebiotic effect on beneficial bacteria at 2% (w/v).•Melon peel juice promoted the growth of Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp.•Melon peel juice had not cytotoxic activity on Caco-2 cells at 1% and 2% (w/v).